Darkness in the Light
by MultiAnime23
Summary: Buttercup has always been more aggressive than her sisters, but is there a point where her aggression is a product of a larger, deeper problem? And how can you convince everyone else that you're fine when you barely believe that yourself? Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This is an idea I've been playing around with for awhile now.**

 **Unfortunately I don't own the Powerpuff Girls, the characters, or the show. If I did, Butch x Buttercup would totally be a thing.**

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Buttercup panted, shifting restlessly in her bed, her eyes moving sharply behind her eyelids. In her dream, she was moving through dense fog, frantically searching for her sisters yet unable to see two feet in front of her, let alone their figures in the distance. She ran faster, reaching her hands up and trying to activate her powers so she can get some light to see.

"Buttercup…/em" She stopped and looked around frantically, recognizing her younger sister's worried voice.

"Bubbles? Where are you?!" She pushed her legs to their breaking point, desperate now to reach her siblings.

"Buttercup. You need to wake up./em" She stopped, confused at the words spoken by her older sister.

"Buttercup." She glanced around again, noticing the fog was clearing. She was able to see that she was in a clearing. A figure emerged from the surrounding trees, his smirk undeniable.

" _You!_ Where are my sisters?!" His smirk widened, continuing to walk until he stopped in front of her. He raised a hand and lightly caressed her cheek, and Buttercup stubbornly refused to admit how good it felt.

"Where indeed Butterbutt. I could tell you – " When her face couldn't hide the hopeful shine budding in her eyes, his smirk turned cruel. "if you beat me that is." Her face turned dark in an instant. She snatched her face away from his gentle grasp, stepping back and dropping to a crouch. Her eyes glowed dangerously as she prepared to attack. She would knock that infuriating smirk right off of his face.

"You tell me right now or I _swear_ –"

"BUTTERCUP STOP!" Her eyes snapped open in shock, fist raised in preparation to strike. Confused and disoriented, she gazed wildly around the room as her brain struggled to process the situation. She was perched on the bed, straddling her younger sister. Blossom had her arms wrapped around the arm keeping Bubbles down. As soon as the situation registered in her mind, Buttercup gasped and flew across the room, trying to melt into the wall. Her sisters stared at her in a mix of concern and astonishment. Bubbles rose and dusted herself off, hopping off the bed and cautiously approaching her sister.

"Buttercup…what happened? What were you dreaming of?" Buttercup shook her head and tried harder to become one with the wall. Bubbles and Blossom shared a glance, until Bubbles stepped back, and Blossom stepped forward, walking slowly towards her sister until she could envelope her in a hug.

"Breathe. It's alright. No one was hurt. You just worried us is all." Buttercup took in shaky breaths, hesitantly returning the hug as the tension faded from her body. When she was sure she could hold a conversation without trying to sink into the ground, she patted Blossom's back, letting her older sister know it was okay to release her. Blossom let go and backed up, her eyes never leaving her sister. "Tell us what happened. We only came in here in the first place because you were screaming in your sleep." Buttercup sighed and ran a shaky hand through her hair, refusing to make eye contact.

"It was just a nightmare…. just slightly more real than anything I've had before."

"About?"

"All I can remember is I couldn't find either of you…and then Butch showed up…anyway. Everyone is safe so there's no need to dwell on silly dreams. "

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 **And that's the first chapter! Thanks for giving my story a chance and feel free to leave a comment. See you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Of course I don't own the Powerpuff girls. Now on with the story!**

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Despite her sisters' worry Buttercup brushed the nightmare aside, not interested in dwelling on fragments of something she could barely remember. The girls got ready for school as Bubbles made a light breakfast. Buttercup walked silently besides her sisters, a frown adorning her beautiful face. Although she had gotten the others to drop it, it still bothered her. She should have woken up when her room door opened, and instead it took almost attacking her sister to get her to snap out of it. She just hoped she didn't have to suffer anymore today.

The girls broke apart once they entered the school, going to their classrooms and promising to meet back up for lunch. Buttercup slumped in her seat, hating having separate classes from her sisters. Both Blossom and Bubbles had more classes together, and the only one the three shared was lunch. Buttercup and Bubbles had P.E. together, and Buttercup shared chemistry with Blossom. Her older sister had finally convinced her to apply herself, reminding her that if she wanted an actual job once they retired from crime fighting she needed to do well in school. Buttercup had history first, which was her favorite subject. The battles were interesting, and their teacher taught it like a continuing story, so she understood it better. Just because she wasn't a full on book lover like her sister didn't mean she didn't like an interesting book every now and then. She just had an image to keep. Her teacher walked in and cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the class.

"Alright class, we have three new students today. Come in boys." Buttercup perked up with the rest of the class, turning curious lime green eyes to the door where three boys were shuffling inside. They stopped at the front of the room, letting their eyes sweep the room. Buttercup internally groaned as soon as she made the mistake of making eye contact with the tallest one with forest green eyes. Of _course_ today wasn't her day.

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 **Special thanks to Aisha m b for the review! See you next chapter. I'll try to keep my updates fast, but as I'm working right now I can't guarantee a set day I'll have things up. It also depends on how soon the ideas for this story come. As always, thanks for giving this story a chance!**


	3. Chapter 3

Buttercup sank lower in her seat, desperately hoping the teacher didn't notice the empty seat beside her. Or if she did, that she got _anyone_ else but the ruggedly handsome boy with the forest green eyes. They stood patiently in front of the class, unimpressed looks decorating their sharp features. The teacher gestured to the class before turning to the boys, smiling warmly.

"Alright boys. Why don't you introduce yourselves?" The boys shrugged and the one in red stepped forward. He wore a simple red t-shirt paired with black joggers with a matching red stripe going down the sides and black tennis shoes. He wore a backwards snap-back, his chestnut red hair poking through the front.

"Names Brick." He nodded at everyone and stepped back, clearing the way for the blue one to introduce himself. He obviously had the most fashion sense of the three, adorning a blue and white plaid shirt on top of a simple white wife beater. He wore white shorts with a simple gold chain attached to the belt loop, and finished off the look with a pair of white high tops. His sandy blond locks were styled in a buzz cut, leaving his bangs free to sweep across his left eye. He smiled and winked at the class, pretending to not notice the sighs of the girls and some of the boys in the class.

"I'm Boomer. Nice to meet everyone!" He too stepped back after his introduction, leaving the sinful boy wrapped in deep green to finish the introductions. He wore a simple black muscle tee, paired with dark green joggers with black stripes on the side. His feet were covered in black and green trainers, and a small lip piercing shone from his bottom lip. He too winked at the ladies, but his gaze swept the classroom again, settling on side of Buttercup's face. He smirked as he introduced himself.

"Butch. You ladies are looking spectacular this fine morning." He stepped back amidst the squeals. Their teacher smiled tightly as she pointed vaguely to the open seats.

"Sit anywhere there's a seat. We'll begin shortly." The boys made their way to a few seats, Buttercup turned the other way. _Please let me get Boomer. Please let me get Boomer. Please let me get -_ A shadow fell over her desk and she held her breath as the seat next to her creaked. As if in slow motion, she turned her head to see if her silent prayer had worked. When blood red eyes met her gaze questioningly, she sagged in relief and turned her head back to the front. Brick was annoying, but she knew he wouldn't bother her. He was more interested in being insufferable to Blossom after all. At least, she hoped so.

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 **Ho ho, thought it was gonna be Butch next to our favorite green puff didn't you? No I have other plans for him. As always thanks for reading and see you next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Powerpuff girls unfortunately.**

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Buttercup gathered her things in a flash as soon as the bell rang. Thankfully Brick acted just as she predicted - uninterested in bothering her. She slowed down once she got to the hallway, humming a soft tune. She entered her chemistry class and immediately made her way to her sister.

"You'll never guess who was in my history class." Blossom hummed, only half listening as she doodled in her notebook. Buttercup grinned and rested her head in her hand, leaning forward for effect. "The Rowdyruff boys." The pencil Blossom was using snapped in half, her left eye jumping in irritation.

"You've _got_ to be kidding. What the heck are they doing here?" As Buttercup opened her mouth to respond, Blossom held up a hand and shook her head. "Actually I don't care. Did they cause trouble?" Buttercup shook her head. Blossom sighed and swept the pieces of her pencil into her hand, dumping it into the trash attached to their station. "Then I don't care what they do. We're all teenagers now after all, so I'm sure they can find other ways to occupy their time other than crime." Buttercup huffed, disappointed with her sister's reaction. Although she couldn't help but agree. They weren't always fighting crime after all, so it made sense the boys were more interested in the more mundane tasks of every day life. She took out her own notebook and turned to the front, before turning back to look at her sister, her eyes dancing with mischief.

"How do you think Bubbles is gonna handle the news?" Blossom smirked at her before smoothing her features to best mimic their youngest sister. Her eyes sparkled and she clasped her hands to her chest as she fluttered her eyelashes.

"Oh Boomie's back? I still call him!" The girls fell against each other in laughter, quickly composing themselves once their teacher lazily strolled in. Buttercup thanked her luck none of the boys were in her class, though she was mildly surprised Brick hadn't chosen to take this class. _Not that I'm complaining._

"Alright class. Today we'll be doing a slightly more explosive experiment, so please go ahead and put on your safety glasses. If you forgot them, please use the eye wash station at the back if something gets in your eye."

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Buttercup and Blossom laughed as they headed to lunch, waving to Bubbles and their friends already at their table as they got in line. Blossom was laughing at something Buttercup had whispered when bubble gum pink clashed with blood red. She stopped but kept her smile, telling herself she could be civil. He smirked at her and turned back to his table. Blossom turned back to her sister as they finally made it through the line. The girls headed over to their own table, Blossom sitting next to Robin while Buttercup sat next to Ayumi. The girls were currently teasing Bubbles for stealing glances at the blue ruff during Pottery. Bubbles's cheeks were puffed in embarrassment as she defended herself.

"He made a beautiful art piece! It's not like I was the only one looking!" She stabbed her salad with a vengeance, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Blossom giggled and pointed her fork at her thoughtfully.

"What did he make?" Bubbles's eyes sparkled in awe as she launched into a description of Boomer's piece. The girls couldn't help but be impressed - it sounded amazing. Ayumi chimed in after Bubbles was finished, shooting a knowing look at Robin.

"It was pretty impressive, but it was nothing compared to how flustered Robin got talking to Mitch before lunch." Robin sputtered a denial as she hastily glanced around, making sure no one was listening.

"I was _not_ flustered!" The girls continued to laugh and tease each other, Buttercup glaring at anyone who even _thought_ of pairing her with anyone.

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 **Special thanks to** **toolazytologin for the review! Thank you to everyone who gave my story a chance and see you next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm on a roll! That said, not every chapter will be uploaded this fast.**

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Buttercup sighed in relief as the sun warmed her face. She was flanked by her sisters and their friends. Bubbles and Ayumi broke off to head to cheer practice, and Blossom waved at the group before peeling off to debate. Buttercup waved goodbye to Robin as she left for tennis, finishing the trek home alone. Her basketball club didn't meet today, freeing up her afternoon. She unlocked the front door and went inside, dropping her bag by the entrance. She was about to throw herself on the couch when the hotline rang. Buttercup dashed to get in, trying to keep the excitement from leaking into her voice.

"Hello?"

"Buttercup? Come quick! There's an emergency downtown!"

"I'm on my way!" Buttercup sent a quick text to her sisters to let them know not to interfere before bursting through the door, hastily locking it back before taking off. When she arrived, a giant monster was wrecking havoc on buildings, crushing the tops of skyscrapers in its claws. Buttercup vibrated in excitement as she flew forward and down, grabbing the monster by the tail and throwing it away from the city. It skidded to a stop in a distant field, long since abandoned after the citizens complained about the damage caused during fights. It tried to rise on shaking legs but Buttercup was there, throwing a punch to its head and sending it crashing back down. She laughed as she landed blow after blow, ripping the tail from its body and incinerating it with her laser beam. Dark purple blood oozed as the creature roared in pain, swiping at Buttercup. She let it hobble away before flying low and knocking its feet out from under it. She kicked and punched the creature, juggling it in the air before slamming it harshly back to the ground. When it twitched but put up no more resistance she grew bored and ended the fight with a roundhouse kick. Believing the creature to simply be unconscious, Buttercup sighed and wiped the sweat from her face, not noticing the dark purple streaks left on her forehead. She flew near its head and kicked it lightly, her adrenaline fading. "Alright, off you go. Hopefully you've learned your lesson about destroying Townsville." When the creature didn't move, she poked it again, flying near its nose. However, she soon noticed she didn't hear or feel any breathing, labored or otherwise. Eyes wide, she flew up to the eyes, pulling back a flap. An unseeing gaze greeted her, and she hastily let the eyelid go and stumbled back. _No way...I actually killed it? B-but...I've done worse to other monsters and none of them died! Heck, I've done worse to Mojo for crying out loud!_ She felt something trickle down her face and she touched her cheek, pulling her hand back to not only notice she had blood on her hands, but that they were covered with it. Her breathing became labored as she switched her gaze between her hands and the creature, finally noticing the blood puddle around the lower half of its body, no doubt from the tail wound she'd inflicted. "W-what...? I killed...I just needed to let off some steam! I-I didn't mean to..." _What will Blossom think if she finds out? I have to get rid of this._ Buttercup charged her laser beams, firing them at the body until there was nothing left. She then burned the blood-soaked grass. Nothing was left of her actions beside charred grass. She looked down at her blood stained hands, unable to stop the tremors coursing through her. She threw up in the grass, slowing to a dry heave as she tried to catch her breath. The girls were crime fighters, but Buttercup had just crossed the line to murderer. _My hands...I need to wash them._ She flew home, heading straight to her room. She turned on the shower to the hottest setting, mechanically stripping before stepping inside. She hissed, but scrubbed herself nonetheless. She rubbed at her skin until it bled, finally deeming herself clean enough. She stepped from the shower and dried off, changing into her pajamas. She went downstairs as the front door opened, light chatter floating to her ears. She smiled tightly at her sisters and followed them into the kitchen as Bubbles began making dinner. She tuned them out as her thoughts drifted. For the first time in her life, Buttercup was scared of herself and her powers. After all, it wasn't _just_ the fact she'd killed that creature that had her shaken - it was the fact that for a split second she'd felt a small thrill shoot through her at the revelation.

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A mirror faded into nothing but wisps of smoke as a face twisted into a devilish smile. Cruel eyes sparkled in amusement as claws snapped in the air. It looks like things were going according to plan after all.

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 **Poor Buttercup! And for my story I'm operating on the assumption that neither she nor her sisters have actively killed anyone. I know some might argue kissing the Rowdys and making them explode is technically killing, but I'm sweeping that one under the rug. After all the girls were kids and didn't have the same understanding as they would as teens, hence why Buttercup is so shaken. She also went a bit overboard on defeating the monster, which she's never done before because she's never fought alone for an entire fight, except for when she's fought her counterpart. For this and the next chapter I want to explore the first time Buttercup realizes just how destructive her powers can be. This was explored in the Powerpuff Girls movie, but I want to dive into the lethal aspects, since it's always pretty glossed over in the series. But leave me a review and tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

If the girls noticed Buttercup's odd behavior, they didn't comment on it. They walked to school as normal, their green eyed sister silent as the other two talked about random things. Buttercup lost herself in her thoughts, unable to stop unconsciously scratching her hands, still feeling the blood on her hands. She hand't told her sisters what happened, just that she had taken care of it. They hadn't questioned it, knowing she was perfectly capable of handling herself. She just hoped she could get through today without incident. _I have practice today, so that should help take my mind off things._ The girls entered the school, splitting up for homeroom. Buttercup slouched in her seat, praying the teacher got here before anyone bothered her. Unfortunately, any luck she had must've run out yesterday, because Butch and the boys entered the class first. She sank lower and pretended to be absorbed in doodling. A shadow fell over her desk, but she still refused to look up. _If I ignore it it'll go away._ A tanned hand reached out and gently tugged her raven locks.

"You look good with long hair." Buttercup huffed and looked up, not surprised to see Butch hovering over her. She widened her eyes dramatically, clasping her hands to her cheeks.

"Oh gosh, thank you Butch!" She reverted to her usual disinterested scowl and shooed him away. "Now go away." Butch chuckled and let go of the piece of hair he'd wrapped around his finger.

"You actually look like a girl now, although that's not _all_ that's changed about you..." She raised an eyebrow as she followed his gaze, cheeks warming when she realized where he was looking. She raised her arms to cover herself from his penetrating gaze, shooting daggers at him.

"Shut up! I _always_ looked like a girl! And stop looking at me like that perv!" He grinned and leaned back, leaving her with one last comment before he went back to his seat.

"Not as girly as your sisters." Buttercup scowled and squashed the hurt that throbbed through her veins at that. It wasn't the first time she'd heard that after all.

The rest of the day passed without incident. At lunch Ayumi had finally asked why Buttercup was so quiet, but she brushed the question, mumbling an unconvincing excuse. If she had looked up, she would've seen the look shared between the rest of the girls. They let her be, knowing she'd say something if she wanted to. When the last bell rang, Buttercup raced to practice, her eyes glowing in excitement. _Finally!_ She barely waved to her sisters before skidding to the gym, throwing the doors open and making her way inside. She greeted her teammates on her way to the locker room, changing quickly before making her way back out. She wore simple black Nike shorts and a loose off the shoulder dark green work out shirt, the words _Work it_ written in white cursive letters across it. The top stretched across her generous chest, lifting the letters slightly. She found a corner of the gym to start her warm up stretches, humming a tune softly under her breath.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" A husky voice whispered in her ear. Whipping around she glared at the boy next to her, sighing when she realized it was just Butch.

"In your dreams. Why're you here?" Butch grinned and leaned back, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"I'm the newest member for the boys, so you'll be seeing me a lot more often Butterbabe." Aggravated at his wide Cheshire grin, she rolled her eyes and continued to stretch.

"Tell them to find someone else and choose another sport. I'm sure you'd be good at soccer or football." Butch grinned and shook his head.

"I've made the team so there's no going back now. Plus how else would I get to see you and the rest of these lovely ladies?" His expression turned sinful as his thoughts took a downward plunge. Buttercup finished the rest of her warm up and made her way over to the girls' side of the gym. "I love it when you walk away from me babe!" Buttercup's face flamed as she flipped him off, some of the girls laughing teasingly at her embarrassment.

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Buttercup stopped by the store before heading home, wanting some ice cream. As she walked with her delicious treat, she let her mind wander. When she bumped into a hard chest, she snapped back to reality. Strong arms prevented her fall, but couldn't save her ice cream from plopping to the ground. She looked up slowly, apology spilling from her lips.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't looking where I was...Boomer?" He grinned politely down at her, releasing her when he saw she was steady enough.

"Hey Buttercup! Nah it's fine. I wasn't paying attention either. What're you doing out so late?" She shrugged.

"Practice. Then I got some ice cream. What're _you_ doing out so late?" He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Got bored at home so I thought I'd take a walk." She nodded, taking the time to study him. He had lost the baby fat, his face more mature, and while not as angled as Brick's, still fairly attractive. His eyes held a wisdom beyond his age, but something about him still irritated her. She wasn't sure what, so she brushed it off. _Plus Bubbles likes him so I should play nice._ She smiled politely and went to move around him, waving her goodbye. Boomer returned it and continued on his way. Buttercup made it home right as Blossom was turning off the TV, sleepily nodding at her as she dragged herself to her room. Buttercup locked the door and headed up to her own room, squeezing in a quick shower before bed. However, as the steam escaped the shower as she stepped out, moving toward the mirror, movement flickered in the corner of her eye. Turning and seeing nothing, Buttercup chalked it up to her being tired and wiped the mirror, looking at herself. Her reflection stared back at her, until suddenly the steam grew thicker and her reflection changed. It was still her, but her hair was wilder and a cruel smirk stretched across her blood red lips.

" **You can keep denying it all you want, but you _liked it_. You liked beating that monster so badly. You basked in the blood that rained on you when you ripped off its tail! You can lie to everyone else, but you can _never_ lie to yourself. Admit it sweet cheeks. You can fight crime and play hero with your sisters all you want, but it'll never change what you are. You're not like them after all - you're a _monster_." **Warped, babbling laughter that sounded oddly familiar assaulted her ears as she shook her head and ran from the bathroom, curling up on her bed. She wasn't a monster! She hadn't _meant_ to kill that monster! Her twisted reflection was right about one thing though. _I'm not like my sisters..._ But just because she was more aggressive and rash didn't make her a monster. Right?

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 **A big thank you to everyone reading this! I'm honestly soooooo happy I've gotten this many views on this, since I wasn't sure anyone would read it. Hopefully this slightly longer chapter will be enough to hold you guys until the next release. See you next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

Buttercup continued to struggle in silence, the words of her reflection taunting her. She began closing herself off, only answering with short, clipped responses if she answered at all. When her sisters and friends tried to ask what was wrong, she'd insist that she was fine and shut down, retreating into herself. _If I say something enough maybe they'll believe it and leave me_ _ **alone**_ _already!_ Buttercup let out her frustrations during practice, trying to be careful to watch her strength. However, today just wasn't her day. Her teammates had also noticed her off behavior, concern leaking into their eyes every time they tried to ask her what was bothering her. She was already on edge, her anxiety and frustrations continuing to build as she pushed them down, refusing to deal with them. She had missed a few shot she normally could've made, only adding to her frustration. The point guard, Kerry, came up to her during one of their breaks, placing a gentle hand on Buttercup's shoulder.

"Buttercup, maybe you should take a small break? You seem a bit tired today." Buttercup snapped her gaze to Kerry, barely containing the glare that wanted to break through.

"I'm fine. Just a bit off. I'm sure I just need to warm up a bit more and I should be good to go." Kerry shot her a skeptical gaze, trying one more time to reason with the hot-headed teen.

"Buttercup we can survive one practice without our star. The important thing is your health and if you aren't at one hundred percent - " The glare seeped onto her face unbidden, and Kerry took a small step back in fear.

"I _said_ I'm FINE!" The ball she'd been gripping in her hands exploded under the sudden pressure, one Buttercup hadn't realized she'd been applying. The gym drowned in silence as everyone gaped at her. Buttercup panted, her shoulders hunched in agitation, eyes narrowed into slits. She looked positively dangerous, and no one could help the small shiver that raced down their spines. Only the knowledge that she _was_ Buttercup helped them relax. Butch took a cautious step forward, his hands raised in surrender when her angry gaze snapped to him.

"Maybe you should calm down a bit Butterbutt. You're making everyone nervous." She grit her teeth and stomped away.

"I said I'm fine. I don't need anyone's concern, least of all _yours_." She threw the ruined basketball in the trash on her way out of the gym, turning towards the roof. Butch sighed and ran a hand through his hair. While he loved when she played hard to get, even _he_ could tell something wasn't right with Buttercup. Her team exchanged worried glances, not sure what to do.

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Buttercup sighed as she got to the roof, feeling the tension slowly fade from her shoulders. She was just as confused as everyone else. She didn't _know_ what was up with her lately. It was like a darkness was settling over her, and she couldn't shake it no matter what she did. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. _Maybe I'll just take a quick nap. I might just be tired..._

Buttercup looked around confused. From what she could see she was in a clearing, thick fog surrounding the place on all sides. She walked forward, glancing around lazily. _This is a pretty boring dream..._ She eventually entered a forest, towering oaks caging her in. She was about to stop when laughter drifted to her ears. Curious, she continued forward until she came across a small waterfall. A large rock jutted out over the clear water, acting as a natural diving board. She was surprised to see her siblings playing with their counterparts in the water. She shouted at them as she walked closer, but the wary gazes they hit her with floored her. It was Bubbles that stepped forward to speak first.

"What are you doing here Buttercup? You said you'd leave." Confused, she simply blinked at her younger sister.

"What're you talking about? Why would I do that?" The group shared a glance before Blossom stepped up.

"Butch told us what you did. We didn't want to believe it, but once we saw you for ourselves there was no denying it." Apprehension started to grip her heart, but she refused to back down when she hadn't done anything wrong. She also couldn't help but groan. _Even in a dream I can't get away from him?!_

"Butch couldn't have told you anything because I haven't done anything." She rolled her eyes, growing tired of this. Blossom waved her arms, her expression growing cold.

"You call _this_ not doing anything?" Buttercup looked down, noticing with wide eyes that the scenery had changed. Below them Townsville lay in ruins, broken buildings toppled to the ground. Cars lay smashed and abandoned, the sidewalk and streets torn apart and unusable. Smoke still drifted above some buildings, the fire slowly fading as it ran out of things to burn. People were crushed under debris, and the ones who weren't turned as one to glare hatefully at the green puff.

"Murderer!"

"Monster!"

"How could you do this?!"

"We trusted you!" They began hurling whatever they could get their hands on as well as their insults, their voices dripping nothing but venom. Buttercup shook her head, not able to wrap her mind around what was happening.

"N-no. I didn't do this! This wasn't me!" Bubbles flew forward and slapped her before grabbing her shoulders, tears burning down her cheeks.

"We saw you! You stood among the rubble and destruction and you were laughing! You laughed Buttercup!" Her rage disappeared as soon as it came, and her sister sagged against her in defeat. "If you were suffering so much why didn't you come to us? We could've helped you." Buttercup turned wide, fearful eyes toward her older sister, needing her to tell her this wasn't true. Blossom shook her head, disappointment radiating off her in waves.

"You did this. You're a _monster_ Buttercup. I hereby strip you of your title as Powerpuff Girl. You are no longer associated with us, and you're no longer any sister of mine. What would the professor say if he could see you like this?" Bubbles released her and wailed into Blossom's chest. The boys floated silently behind them, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. As soon as they flew away, Buttercup screamed. She wailed as she plummeted to the ground, refusing to move when she hit the ground. She curled in on herself, her nails digging into her arms so hard they drew blood. Red smoke began to surround her, but she ignored it as she wallowed in self-loathing. Suddenly her reflection materialized in front of her. She wore a ripped green tank with a spiked choker,, paired with a black skirt and knee high black stockings. On her wrists she wore spiked bracelets that matched her choker, a cruel smirk stretching across her face. She surveyed the scene with interest, turning to Buttercup.

" ** _Why are you so upset? This is awesome!_** " Buttercup shook her head, curling further into herself.

"They called me a _monster_. They didn't even listen to me. Why does no one believe me?! I didn't do this! I didn't..." Her doppelganger bent over her, placing a cool hand against her cheek.

" ** _Oh Buttercup. But you did do this._** "

"NO! I didn't! I didn't!" She grabbed her head as pain shot through it. Her reflection stood back up, and if Buttercup had paid more attention, she would've recognized the voice and tried harder to wake herself up. She wasn't, so she didn't, allowing herself to sink further into darkness.

" ** _I can help you. All you have to do is take my hand._** " Buttercup looked at the hand offered to her hesitantly, something poking at the edge of her mind in warning. However, the pain in her heart would not be ignored, so she reached up, about to grasp the other girl's hand when she was suddenly jolted, her eyes flying open. She glanced around, her mind struggling to process what was going on. The school's roof stretched before her, warm hands resting on her shoulders. She looked to her left, trying to figure out if this was reality when lime green clashed with emerald.

"Butch?"

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In other realm, claws snapped in irritation as a being roared in frustration. The most feared evil slumped back into his throne, teeth grinding. He had been so _close_ to getting the green puff in his clutches. she had been vulnerable enough to accept his proposal. If his idiotic sons hadn't interfered, he would have her. However, her dream would no doubt leave her scarred, so all he had to do was continue to bide his time. He grinned evilly as he devised another plan.

"I will have you yet, **Buttercup**." His ominous laughter held devilish intent, echoing around him.

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 **And that's the end! Leave a review and tell me what you think! Thank you guys for all the views, and see you next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

Butch whistled as he walked lazily towards the roof, having already finished his lunch. _Maybe I'll skip the rest of my classes today..._ He pushed open the doors to the roof, breathing in deeply as he closed the door back and went to settle himself in his favorite spot when he noticed a body already occupying it. Annoyed, he leaned down to get into the student's face when fluttering raven locks caught his attention. A lazy smirk crossed his face when he realized his Butterbabe was fast asleep. He settled beside her, leaning his head back against the building. He closed his eyes, enjoying this fleeting moment. She'd never let this happen if she were awake, and neither would he - he had an image to keep after all. He was about to doze off himself when he heard a small whimper. Confused, he glanced around to see where the sound had come from. All he saw was Buttercup, but he dismissed that fleeting thought and settled himself back against the building. The next whimper he heard was louder and longer, as if she was trying desperately to conceal her pain. He turned to her, slowly taking in her expression. Her brows were pinched together, lips pulled into a delicious pout. Her eyes moved furiously behind her eyelids. He sighed and reached a cautious hand out to her, hesitating for only a moment before it landed confidently on her shoulder. He shook her, turning more towards her to get a better angle.

"Butterbutt wake up." She whimpered again and furiously shook her head, tears beginning to leak from her eyes. His eye twitched but he grasped his small amount of patience and tried again. "Buttercup, seriously get up." Her eyes snapped open and he was about to move back when they began to glow. Confused he waved a hand in front of her face, realizing she was still asleep. Red smoke began to gather around her, one he'd recognize anywhere. "What the...why is _that_ here?" He shook her harder, lightly slapping her cheeks. "Buttercup get up!" Her mumbles were his only reward for his efforts. Frustrated and starting to grow worried from her lack of response, he opened his mind and reached for his brother. He answered after a few prods.

 _What dipshit?_

 _Buttercup's stuck in a dream and I can't wake her up._ He could practically see Brick rolling his eyes.

 _And? Let her sleep and stop bothering me._

 _Pink smoke is surrounding her._ Butch wasn't sure if it was the urgency in his voice or what that smoke could mean that got his brother in gear. Whatever it was, he appeared in front of the greens shortly after, grumpy as always. He knelt beside Butch, taking in the way the smoke twisted around Buttercup, her unseeing eyes still wide open and glowing, silent tears streaking down her cheeks. Brick stepped back and gestured to Buttercup.

"Use your powers to wake her. Just shaking her isn't going to cut it. He has her in deep." His hands glowed dark green as he placed them on her, sending a controlled jolt through her system. With a gasp the smoke dissipated and she straightened, blinking slowly as she came back to reality. Her eyes were still wide when she swung her head to take in her surroundings. When her half-crazed gaze landed on the brothers, confusion reigned above all else.

"Butch?" She glanced behind him to see Brick staring at her with a raised eyebrow. Butch stayed where he was, observing her face as he smirked.

"Morning princess." His voice seemed to jolt something in her, because she shrugged off his touch and scrambled away, putting some serious distance between them. He felt a flash of annoyance at her treatment, but squashed it as Brick turned to her.

"Why is Him targeting you?" She blinked at him, before schooling her features into a calm but blank look.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He scoffed but held his ground. If Him was after Buttercup it spelled trouble for all of them.

"Don't play games with me Buttercup. If Butch wasn't here you wouldn't even be here to play dumb." She flinched and stole a glance at Butch, but averted her gaze before they could lock eyes. She huffed and ran a hand through her hair, looking put out.

"I don't know okay? I've just been having weird dreams lately. It's no big deal." _And confusing thoughts, but no one needs to know that. I can take care of myself._ Brick studied her, but it was Butch who opened his mouth to speak.

"Is that why you were so weird at practice today? You looked positively feral for a moment there, not that I'm complaining." Her expression froze before she quickly gathered her trash and headed for the door, no longer able to handle being there.

"Buttercup -" She spun around and glared at the two, and for a moment neither knew who she was. The dark look in her eyes was unlike anything they'd ever seen before.

"Leave me alone. You aren't my sisters and you're most _certainly_ not my father so don't go sticking your nose in my business! I appreciate you waking me up, but that's as far as it needs to go." Without another word she headed back inside, leaving the boys to stare after her. Brick ran a tired hand down his face.

"Man this is going to be such a pain..."

* * *

Buttercup's mood had improved by the time she'd arrived home. Nothing weird had happened the rest of the day, and her random mood swings had all but gone. She grinned as she swung open her front door, only to feel it slip off her face when she saw the company they had. Her sisters were seated on the couch along with their counterparts, all turning towards her as soon as the door opened. She narrowed her eyes, both the dream and her earlier encounter with Brick and Butch leaving a bitter taste in her mouth and venom in her tone. She turned her suspicious gaze to Blossom, her eyes demanding an answer even before she spoke.

"What is this? What're they doing here?" Blossom raised placating hands toward her volatile sister, keeping her face the picture of concern.

"Brick and Butch told us what happened on the roof. We're just worried about you.

 ** _Butch told us what you did..._**

"What happened on the roof was nothing more than a fluke. I'm fine so there's no reason for you to be worried." Bubbles stepped forward to stand beside Blossom, the boys watching the scene unfold from the safety of the couch.

"Buttercup you know you don't have to act tough with us. Let us help you."

 _ **Why didn't you come to us if you needed help...**_

"Of course I know that. But there's nothing for you to help me with. I'm fine!"

"No you're not fine! The Buttercup I know doesn't act like this!" She flinched as if she'd been struck, squeezing her eyes shut as the voice got louder.

 _ **You're no longer any sister of mine...**_

"Or maybe you just don't know me as well as you think you do!" Bubbles hiccuped and Buttercup looked at her, her eyes seeing her but her mind continuing to whisper to her.

"Buttercup..." Bubbles sounded so defeated, just like in the dream. _Wait...what if it wasn't a dream but a glimpse of this situation? I could barely take it in the dream, I'll break if they say that to me now..._ Quickly she turned, eyes searching for who she wanted. Just as she suspected, her doppelganger stood perched in the corner, staring at the scene in interest. Buttercup dropped to her knees as her head felt as if it would split. Her sisters rushed to her, calling her name, but she could no longer hear them. Unbeknownst to her, that same pink smoke began to surround her as her reflection walked towards her, stopping just in front of her. **_Are you ready to go now?_** Buttercup nodded and reached out her hand, grasping the hand of her other self just as Bubbles reached for her, her hands sparking in electricity. Buttercup disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke, while Bubbles fell forward into the space she used to be, tears gathering in her eyes. The remaining super powered teens turned as one as an image of Him appeared. His Cheshire grin practically split his face in two, looking like the cat that ate the canary.

" _You girls made it easier just as I anticipated. Poor Buttercup couldn't handle her nightmares becoming reality. I knew you'd stage this out of concern, but with everything I've shown her it was bound to **backfire**_." His ominous laugh crawled down their spines. He paused before he faded, looking at the remaining puffs. " _No need to fear. She's **mine now**_." Blossom and Bubbles collapsed against each other as the embodiment of evil disappeared in a smoky haze.


	9. Chapter 9

Buttercup groaned awake, her eyes moving restlessly behind her eyelids. The room she was in was a dark emerald green, reminding her of a certain rowdyruff. An intricate wardrobe stood in the left-most corner. Beside the queen-sized bed lay a bedside table that matched the wardrobe. A fuzzy black and green rug lay in the middle of the room. The bed was crafted from dark, smooth oak, covered in a checkered black and dark green duvet. The sheets were the softest silk she'd ever felt. Sliding off the bed, she made her way to the door on the right. Through it she found the bathroom. Marble tiles made up the flooring, with granite galaxy counter tops. A large pool styled tub sat to the right, small steps leading into it. A single column jutted out the middle of the tub, water spilling from it in an arc. Further in led to a toilet and walk in closet, complete with a small vanity and pure white couch. Buttercup left the bathroom and went back to the main room, noting the lack of a TV or personal items, before opening the other door. As soon as she did, she knew where she was. Brimstone forged the path, fire dancing through the air and lighting the dangerous path. Buttercup walked slowly down the path, her eyes resolutely forward. She knew what she would find at the end after all. Grand charred doors halted her at the end. She pushed them open and strode purposefully through. She stopped once she reached the foot of the throne. She glared up at the being smirking much too wide for her liking. She crossed her arms, cutting right to the chase.

"What am I doing here Him?" He grinned gleefully down at her, rising from his seat to float down the stairs.

" _Why Buttercup. I'm **so** glad you decided to join me._" She cocked her head to the side, raising a delicate eyebrow.

"I didn't join you. What're you talking about?" He grinned conspiratorially at her.

" _Oh but you **did! When you took my hand.**_ " It took her a minute, but when she did her eyes widened before she clutched her chest in pain. She doubled over with a gasp, struggling to breathe.

"W-what... what did you do to me?" Him floated behind her, placing claws gently on her shoulders.

" _Oh my dear. It's not what **I'm** doing. It's what you're doing to yourself. That's called heartache. It's no surprise. **It's only natural when the people you love abandon you.**_ " Buttercup gasped, her head shooting up in denial.

"They didn't! I overreacted, again. Oh they're probably so worried..." Him tsk'd and bent over, making sure his lips lined up with her ears.

" _Maybe not yet, but didn't Blossom say so herself? I don't even know you anymore!_ " Blossom's voice had rocked her to the core, and she clutched her chest tighter.

"That's..."

" _I can get rid of that for you. Join me Buttercup. You were the one created from spice. Admit it. The thrill of battle rushes through your veins. You only helped fight crime because your sisters wanted to, and you couldn't let them do it alone. But enough is enough. It's time to think only of yourself._ "

"I..."

" _Crime fighting got boring, which is why you went overboard and killed that monster. It **was** an accident, but it was born from your own pent up frustrations and feelings. You have no outlet anymore for your aggression. Join me, and I can give that to you._" Buttercup had never felt so conflicted in her life. He was right, she _did_ need an outlet for her pent up aggression. She had noticed after the first fight the girls had ever partaken in. Her siblings grew aggressive during the fight, but after that she went back to normal. She didn't. She had liked the rush of adrenaline, the blood howling in her veins as the threat loomed over them. As soon as the fight was over, Buttercup only felt disappointment. She didn't understand why, so she brushed it off. It was only as they grew older that she understood. Blossom and Bubbles had lucked out, getting the sugar and everything nice. She, however, was cursed with spice, contributing to her short temper and stubbornness. She had more aggression and restlessness flowing through her veins than her sisters. When she'd talked to Blossom about it, she'd suggested Buttercup get involved in sports to help her channel that excess energy. It had worked for awhile, but lately it hadn't helped.

While Buttercup struggled with her thoughts, Him's body shook with the strain of keeping himself in check. He knew he had her, he just had to give her one more push, and she was his.

" _You know I'm right Buttercup. You are a born fighter. You're not like your sisters, but that isn't a bad thing. Let your inhibitions go. Embrace your **true self.**_ "

"My true self...?" He floated in front of her, taking in her lost expression. He had her!

" _ **Yes. Your true self. Accept the darkness in your heart you always knew you had! Shed that preposterous title of a hero and finally do what you've always wanted!**_ " Buttercup looked up at him, her mind warring itself. He was right, although it wasn't darkness. It was a thirst for battle she couldn't contain. She wasn't satisfied with her life. She loved her sisters and their friends, but it wasn't enough. She craved the rush of battle, the thrill of a _true_ challenge. She couldn't do that because she always had to keep her powers in check. Even when the girls fought they were warned not to overdo it so as not to fully destroy the town or endanger the people. She was still on the fence, because she didn't want to turn on her sisters. With the professor gone, they were all she had left. _The Buttercup I know doesn't act like this!_ Buttercup's eyes narrowed as she looked back up. _I guess I'm not their Buttercup anymore._ She nodded at him, her lime green eyes sparking.

"Show me."

* * *

 **Special thanks to** **519 for the review! See you next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

Him threw his head back and laughed from his soul. It worked! She was his! Finally, one of his schemes had managed to come to fruition! Buttercup stared blandly up at him, her patience wearing thin. He regained his composure and raised a claw to place it on her head. Buttercup however jerked back, suspicion leaking into her gaze.

"What are you doing?" Him raised an eyebrow at her suspicion.

" _You're the one who asked me to show you._ " Buttercup chuckled nervously but stepped forward again. Him once again raised his claw, placing it on the crown of her head. Buttercup sighed as a calm she'd never felt before wash over her. Her muscles relaxed and her thoughts stopped their restless buzzing. When she felt the pressure on her head lift, she had the urge to bring it back. She opened her eyes, looking at Him with a cool indifference. " _How do you feel my dear?_ " She grinned, her pure white teeth glinting in the fire.

"Never better." He cackled and threw an arm around her shoulders, leading her to the TV in front of the throne. Buttercup shook him off and draped herself over the drone, waving her hand in the air. "How long do you plan on allowing me to starve? Where's the food?" Him blanched but quickly composed himself, waving his own claws in the air. A long table appeared in front of her, filled with mouth watering food. Steak, lobster, steaming rolls, buttered corn, and steaming green beans as well as other food decorated the table. Buttercup tucked in, eating quickly but not without manners. When she finished she wiped her mouth and flicked her gaze at Him. He made the table and food disappear, straightening as he locked her gaze with his own.

" _Now, shall we begin?_ "

"Begin what?"

" ** _You wanted a fight didn't you?_** " Her eyes sparkled in interest. She straightened on the throne, a pleased smirk on her lips.

* * *

Blossom was livid. She _never_ should've listened to those _idiots_! Buttercup was in the clutches of evil incarnate and Bubbles had locked herself in her room, blaming herself. She huffed and dragged her hand through her long auburn hair. _This is just great! I thought we were doing better lately and of_ ** _course_ **_something had to come along and ruin it. Him better not lay a finger on my sister or I swear I'll end him for good._ She made something quick for her and Bubbles, forgetting entirely the boys were still there. Boomer stepped forward slowly, his eyes sincere and his voice appeasing.

"Blossom, we're so-" A cold gaze froze his words in his throat. Blossom didn't even speak, her icy gaze speaking volumes. The boys were suddenly reminded that they were faced with the leader of the girls. There was a reason Buttercup stayed in line and Bubbles had grown up. Blossom wasn't the leader just because she was the brains behind most operations. Brick stopped breathing as that soul snatching gaze washed over him. She was downright frightening in this moment, and he couldn't help but wondering where this look was when they were enemies. Butch grabbed both his brothers as frost began appearing on her arms, heading quickly to the door. It was only when it closed with a loud slam that Blossom's face went back to normal. She headed up the stairs quietly, gently knocking on the baby blue and white spotted door.

"Bubbles open up. You need to eat."

"...I'm not hungry..." Blossom was tired. The day's events were wearing on her, and Bubbles wasn't the only one suffering. However, she patiently knocked again.

"You can either open this door or I can break it down and force this food down your throat." Quick steps were her only answer as the door gently clicked open, her sister's bloodshot and puffy eyes greeting her. Bubbles stepped aside for her sister, going back to sit dejectedly on her bed. She took the offered food, eating it robotic-ally. Blossom ate her own food in just as much silence, observing her sister. She knew Bubbles would blame herself, but her sister looked so _weary_ , like Buttercup sucked all the energy from her when she left. Blossom put their plates on the desk before scooping her sister into her arms, softly stroking her hair. It was down for once, tumbling down her back in soft golden waves. Bubbles sniffled before clutching the front of Blossom's shirt and wailing.

* * *

The boys flew home. Brick opened the door, grumbling as they walked through.

"Boomer hurry and get dinner started. I'm starving." Boomer flipped them off but started for the kitchen nonetheless. Butch headed to the couch, but stopped when he noticed the extra presence in the room. The young woman grinned, leaning forward to run teasing fingers down his chest. Butch sucked in a breath, unable to tear his eyes away. Boomer poked his head in to ask what Butch wanted, but stopped when he say what was going on.

"Um, Brick? Can you come in here?" Brick walked out of his room, his hat nowhere to be found.

"What? I just spent most of the day with you idiots and you miss me already?" His teasing smirk evaporated once he made it to the living room, seeing his green eyed brother completely entranced with his counterpart. Everyone swallowed when she stood up and revealed her outfit. But it was her expression that took their breath away. Her eyes were sparking in challenge, her mouth twisted in a cruel yet playful smirk. She cocked her hip to the side, crossing her arms.

"Wanna play a game?"

* * *

 **And that's the chapter! Shout out to all my lovely readers, and I'll see you next chapter! And special thanks to awesomerockstar101 for the review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Butch prided himself on being the master of any and all situations. Out of his brothers, he would never deny he was the most flirtatious or experienced. However, like his brothers, he couldn't help the way his heart beat just a bit faster whenever he saw his counterpart. She was feisty and headstrong, but could be soft and level-headed on rare occasions. But here, in front of him, she was downright sinful. She wore a black crop top that tied in a twist in the front. A spiked choker clung to her neck, matching the spiked belt that held up her black and green bicker shorts. Black and green knee high socks paired with ankle length combat boots covered her feet. Butch swallowed hard as he drank in her form. Her hair was down and tumbling over her back in uncontrolled waves. He was drawn back into reality when she spoke.

"Wanna play a game?" He blinked, understandably confused. Brick raised an eyebrow, already bored. While he couldn't deny she looked delicious in her new outfit, she wasn't his cup of tea.

"A game? No thanks."

"Yeah. Shouldn't you be at home? Your sisters are worried for you." _Oh so that's what it is. That concern of his gets on my nerves. No wonder Bubbles likes him. He's unarguably the sweetest out of his brothers, though not as sweet as her. It's not naive either, thankfully. But I have one person hovering over me in concern, I don't need two._ She pouted and looked to Butch, batting her eyelashes.

"You don't wanna play with me either Butchie boy?" He knew she didn't mean it like that but _damn_. How could he say no to that?

"Sure, why not?" Buttercup's eyes flashed as her smile turned deadly.

"Great!" Their surroundings melted away as all three boys lost consciousness.

* * *

Buttercup observed the groaning boys, floating solemnly in the air. She bit her lip in thought, warring with herself on if she should really go through with this. _But if I don't..._ She disappeared, reappearing outside her bedroom window. Her heart beat painfully at the sight of Bubbles and Blossom curled up together on her bed, dried tear streaks on their faces. She slipped into the room, gently stroking Bubbles's hair before their surroundings faded and they were deposited gently next to the boys. She floated above them all, touching down next to Him. He winked at Buttercup, not bothered by her annoyance with him. She hadn't liked involving her sisters, but a bit of threatening on his part had remedied that. Buttercup meanwhile ruefully sighed, retreating into her thoughts. _Looks like those dreams were half right. I wasn't a monster before, but I might just become one._

* * *

 **I know it's short! But I felt like that was a good place to end for now. The stage is set, and our players are assembled. I wonder just how far Buttercup will go to sate her love of fighting. And I know that's not the only part of her, but it _is_ a large part of her. A part she's never been able to fully explore because the girls can't go full out without becoming a threat to the citizens. She also has the largest dose of a love to fight, as seen by Butch's constant excitement for a brawl. They're counterparts, but Butch has had more opportunities to unleash his wild side, and his restless energy manifests in his twitching, so I feel like he isn't as repressed as Buttercup. Also, I didn't make Him brainwash her. He simply got rid of her inhibitions, so she won't hold back. She also knows that in Him's realm she poses no danger to anyone, which will play out in later chapters. She may become more tempted with evil tendencies, but for now she's the same puff with no restraints placed on her.**


	12. Chapter 12

Blossom could take a lot of things. Being the leader of the Powerpuff girls, an older sister, and stellar student weren't easy. But none of that could prepare her for the situation she currently found herself in. One of her sisters had been taken by a madman while the other might as well have been a ghost with the way she acted. Of course Blossom understood Bubbles's pain - it was her pain too. But she couldn't break down until Bubbles went to sleep, because her sister needed an anchor and dang it she'd be one. But waking up next to Bubbles and the boys in a strange realm that looked suspiciously like it belonged to the aforementioned madman, was just about the straw that broke the camel's back. Blossom was dangerously close to losing it. Bubbles groaned awake next to her, sitting up while rubbing her eyes.

"Blossom...?"

"I don't know. Looks like we're trapped though." Bubbles looked around, taking note of the boys but more intent on her surroundings. The floor was glowing red rock of various sizes that felt warm to the touch. When Bubbles tried to float higher to get a better view, she met ash clouds that covered the air like smog. She came back down, telling Blossom what she saw. Her pink eyed sister sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Alright, well I guess we'll just wait -"

"Why the _hell_ are we _here_?!"

"Nevermind." Brick was fuming as he awoke, glaring this way and that. He knew where they were, he just couldn't figure out _why_ Buttercup had dropped them next to this twisted maze. Nothing good ever came out of being here. _Stupid Butch. This is all your fault._ Boomer and Butch woke up within seconds of each other, groaning much like Bubbles had done before lazily taking in their surroundings. When it registered where they were, Boomer shuffled closer to Butch.

"Brick..." Boomer's voice came out in a low whine, making the girls tense. They figured Him had something to do with this based solely on the color scheme, but Boomer was obviously distressed with being here. Blossom shared a glance with Bubbles before turning to Brick, demanding an explanation.

"What is this Brick?" Blood red clashed with bubblegum pink as the leaders had a silent staring contest, ending only when Brick sighed and closed his eyes, running an agitated hand through his hair.

"A maze pinky, what's it look like?" Blossom shot him a look, unimpressed. "It's Him's maze. He changes it constantly so I'm not sure what it is this time, but usually you have to fight your way through while also keeping an eye on your surroundings, since those change at random as well. I think he said once the goal was to build endurance and stamina along with your critical thinking, since you don't have time to sit and ponder your next move."

" _Correct!_ " The teens looked up to see Him appear dramatically from a cloud of smoke. His smirk stretched his face wide, his claws stretched before them. " _So glad you could **join us**_." Blossom stepped forward, fire blazing in her eyes.

"Where's my sister you psycho!" He chuckled, amused. He waved his claw beside him, Buttercup appearing shortly after.

"Buttercup!" Her sisters shouted together. Bubbles moved to fly forward but Buttercup shook her head, halting her. Him watched her closely, nodding in approval at her actions. Her heart ached seeing the hurt and confused look on Bubbles's face, but she couldn't give in if she wanted them to live through this. Him clapped his hands to get the attention back on him.

" _Well isn't that **sweet** reunion? But enough about that. My dear, tell them the rules._"

"All you have to do is make it to the end of the maze. There's no time limit, and no such thing as cheating. The only rule is to make it to the exit to get back home." Blossom furrowed her brow, not satisfied at all with this turn of events. _I'll just see where this is going for now._ Him coughed, gesturing to an entrance that appeared from the smoke. He waved his claw, gesturing toward it.

" _Well don't just stand there. **Get on with it**_." The teens jump, startled, but head into the maze nonetheless. Him turned to Buttercup, his smile deceivingly innocent. " _Well? What are you still doing here?_ " Buttercup grumbled but set off after them, the entrance fading after her. Him disappeared soon after, exiting just as grandly as he appeared.

 _Be careful what you **wish for**_ _..._

* * *

 **Thank you to all my wonderful readers! I'm pleasantly surprised by just how interested you guys seem to be in my story. I'll try to upload another update quickly since this one is kind of short, but I won't promise anything in case I can't. Also shout out to those that followed and Favorited this story. See you next chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

The teens stopped once they had entered the maze, stopping after turning to the left. Blossom wanted to keep straight, but Brick argued in favor of going right. Boomer thought they should go left, while Bubbles couldn't care less which way they went as long as they started moving. She felt uneasy standing there, waiting for something to jump out at them. Once Blossom and Brick started arguing, she turned to Boomer.

"You said left?" Boomer nodded, biting his lip to stop his pleased grin from breaking through as they turned that way, disappearing further into the maze. Blossom and Brick didn't notice their absence, too absorbed in winning their verbal spar.

"The right winds so we can't see what's down it, so obviously right is the way to go!"

"Straight is too easy, so it's obviously a trap! Right is the way to go!" Blossom stomped her foot, pulling back and flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Fine. Then _you_ can go that way and I'll go straight." Brick crossed his arms, turning to the right.

"I will. Don't come crying to me when you get in trouble pinky." She rolled her eyes and kept walking, not dignifying that with a response. She walked for what felt like hours, starting to grow suspicious when the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She let frost begin to rise from her arms, serving as a warning for whatever was tracking her. She stepped too quickly, her right foot sinking slightly as a trap activates. Blood draining from her face, she tensed, eyes swinging wildly. After holding her breath in anticipation, she relaxed as nothing happened.

"Well that was anticlimactic-" The ground rumbled as the sky parted, a giant boulder dropping from the sky and beginning to roll towards her. She rolled her eyes and flew up, bumping her head on what she _thought_ was the sky. She floated just underneath where she'd hit, pushing hesitant fingers above her, feeling an unrelenting shield. "Oh you've _got_ to be kidding me!" She dropped back down, running from the boulder intent on crushing her. _The walls! I think I can pull it off..._ She zipped sideways, running up the wall and pushing off, pulling her leg back and pushing some of her power into her leg, connecting with a yell as she shattered the boulder, dropping to the ground in a crouch. She panted as adrenaline rushed through her, trying to calm herself back down. _Huh, that was kind of fun._ She turned around to continue down the path she'd chosen, keeping her senses on high alert. _I wonder what lies Him fed her to turn her to this. She hasn't done anything yet, but I doubt Him is using her just to stand next to him. He's planning something, but what?_ The path forked into two, one twisting to the left while the other sloped slightly upward to the right. _Eenie meeni miny left._ She turned left, not noticing the maze shifted at her choice, creating a wall where the path to the right previously existed.

* * *

"I think we're lost Boomie." The blues hadn't encountered any trouble yet, but Bubbles knew they'd once again entered the same pathway they'd come from, spotting the single black rose sprouting from the right wall. Boomer chuckled nervously, scratching his cheek.

"Sorry. I didn't realize just how much I rely on Brick to lead the way." Bubbles giggled, gentle eyes settling on her crush.

"I know what you mean. I usually just go with the flow. Buttercup's usually the one who questions Blossom until she's satisfied." Boomer laughed, his deep baritone filling Bubbles with a pleasant warmth. _Oh dear. I've go tit bad._

"Yeah that's Butch. Although it usually ends up in a fist fight." They shared one last laugh before Bubbles sighed, pausing in the middle of the path.

"Well we're on our own for now, so it looks like it's time to assert our independence." She waked towards the single black rose, squinting at it as she looked at it from every angle. It had been bothering her every time she spotted it, since it seemed out of place. Every other wall they'd encountered was smooth, broken up by pieces of broken rock and dripping lava. The rose was the only plant life she'd seen so far, and it seemed to grow directly out of the wall instead of out of the ground near it. Boomer appeared at her side, curious but silent as she continued to examine the flower. She reached out a hand to touch the petals, and as soon as she did, the wall shook as it moved back, melting away to reveal another path. Bubbles and Boomer grinned as they stopped through, the wall rising to once again block the hidden path. They talked as they waked, getting to know each other on a different level than before. They shared a love of the arts, though Boomer was more partial to sculpting and pottery, while Bubbles enjoyed painting and drawing. They continued to giggle and laugh, temporarily forgetting their quest to find the exit. They were harshly reminded when Bubbles suddenly pushed Boomer aside, getting smacked into a wall. Boomer grunted from the impact, his eyes narrowing as he searched for the enemy. When he spotted it, he nearly fainted. Slithering toward them was a forty foot snake. Glowing red eyes popped out of its skull, it's forked tongue slithering out in regular intervals. Black and red stripes decorated its body, appearing as cracks along its skin. It was no secret that Boomer was terribly afraid of snakes, even though he liked other animals well enough. Bubbles removed herself from the wall, brushing stray debris off herself. She looked up to see what they'd be fighting, groaning in annoyance. _Of course it's a snake._ She wasted no time attacking, flying low and uppercutting the snake on its chin, following through with a back flip to avoid its tail. The snake hissed, aggravated, swinging its tail and catching Boomer in the side, throwing him into Bubbles who had flown back to attack again. The blues collided in a tangle of limbs as they careened through the air, Boomer managing to twist at the last second so he took the brunt of the blow. Bubbles landed mostly on top of him, her arm trapped painfully beneath him while her other rested on his chest. One of his arms was wrapped around her waist, the other landing dangerously close to her backside. She pushed herself up, yanking her other arm out from under him before he rolled and crushed it. When she moved, his hands slipped down, brushing across her butt and involuntarily squeezing. Bubbles squeaked, blushing furiously as she pushed off of him. Boomer sat up quickly, stuttering out an apology even as his hands tingled from the feeling he'd just experienced. In all honesty, he didn't regret that unexpected gift. Bubbles jumped back into the fight, and Boomer lagged slightly behind, watching her fight with interest. Her face was scrunched in concentration, her chest expanding as she breathed in deep to release a sonic scream. The snake roared, shaking as her sonic scream resonated through its being. One of her hair ties had come loose, golden hair flowing around one side of her head. Watching her fight, he realized she wasn't as helpless as people seemed to assume. She fought with a determination he found alluring, analyzing her opponent as she attacked, using her surroundings to her advantage. She managed to get the snake twisted in its own body before knocking it out, ensuring it couldn't chase them when it woke up. She dropped back down next to him, refusing to make eye contact as she began walking. She took down her remaining ponytail, twisting her hair into a messy bun and securing it with her hair tie. Boomer stifled his disappoint, preferring the rare glimpse of her hair down. They reached another fork in the maze, opting to go left. In another part of the maze, a resounding smack rang through the air.

"Pervert!"

* * *

 **That was longer than I thought it would be, but I'm happy with it none the less. Shout out to** **519 for the review! See ya next chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

Butch grumbled to himself as he walked. He hadn't waited for the others to catch up before forging ahead. He'd come across three different monsters and traps so far, so he figured he must be heading in the right direction. He would still be wary though, since sometimes Him put more monsters on the paths that lead to dead ends or back to the entrance, so one had to be careful not to get overconfident. He stumbled across another sharp incline in the maze, choosing instead to turn right. He was tired of walking uphill. His walk through the maze had been relatively boring since he defeated the last monster, and it was putting him on edge. That was until he heard a shrill scream rip through the air.

"Pervert!" Amused, he turned around, heading back the way he came since the scream seemed to come from that direction. He turned right, not noticing a wall spring up behind him, blocking the way he left.

* * *

Blossom was a lot of things. A bit bossy, level-headed, slow to anger, the list goes on. But she was already frazzled from this whole situation, her nerves were way past their breaking points, and she was running on maybe four hours of sleep. They had decided on a game of rock-paper-scissors to determine which way to go. Brick had won, unfortunately, and the pair had set off. Immediately they encountered monsters, traps, and she was pretty sure what she'd stepped in before Brick quickly pulled her out was quick sand. Needless to say, Blossom was out of patience and civility. _I knew we should've gone my way._ They had just taken down _another_ monster, but before it had been defeated it had launched Brick into her, the duo skirting across the harsh ground before coming to a stop when Blossom hit a wall. Brick had landed on top of her, but when he went to push himself up he'd grabbed her chest. Blossom had understood it wasn't intentional, until he'd squeezed. Then she felt justified in slapping him off her.

"Pervert!" Brick grumbled as he peeled himself off the ground. He'd shot her a disgruntled look before flying into the fray. Blossom had provided backup, and the monster had been defeated. Now the two were continuing their trek, but this time Blossom was leading the way. Her held was high as she marched on, her hips swinging in tandem with her steps. Brick suddenly realized he didn't mind following after her. "Isn't there some kind of algorithm or cheat to this? There's no way this is completely random _every_ time."

"You'd be surprised. Him _does_ have a lot of time on his hands." Blossom groaned and Brick swallowed. He would never admit it, but seeing Blossom so frustrated was on of his favorite looks on her. Her nose scrunched up in displeasure, her brows drawing down as her eyes twinkled in frustration. Her tone became more edgy, taking on a more accusatory feel as she began to fire off questions in an effort to reconcile reality and her thoughts on what should be happening. It was almost like she was playing a game and was trying to understand why her character wasn't doing what she wanted. He was snapped back to the present when Blossom pinched his arm. He hissed, pushing her hands away. "What?" She rolled her eyes and started walking again.

"You stopped walking and you weren't listening." He smirked and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Missing our banter already pinky? I didn't realize you liked me so much."

"Please. I just couldn't afford getting separated from one of the only people who have experience dealing with our current circumstances. Don't inflate your importance to me Brick." He felt a stab of annoyance at her bland response, but brushed it aside. He had an idea of where the exit might be, but if they got there too quickly his fun would end. This was the longest the two had hung out, and he was in no rush to end their time together. Instead, he adopted a hurt expression, placing his hand dramatically on his chest.

"You wound me, Blossy! Why you continue to deny our love I'll never understand." She rolled her eyes, willing the pink tint to her cheeks away. Brick had gotten handsome over the years. His expressive eyes and sharp jaw line only adding to his appeal. She blushed harder at the turn her thoughts had taken, almost running smack into a wall. The wall shifted to reveal a surprised Butch. He snapped back to nonchalance when he recognized her, raising a hand in greeting.

"Yo."

"Butch? What-" Blossom cut herself off when she spotted a flash of green behind him. She reached forward and yanked him behind her, stepping to take his place on the other side of the wall. It slowly rose as soon as her feet touched the ground, halting Brick's attempt to go after her.

"Buttercup wait!" Brick slammed his hands against the wall, practically steaming.

"Blossom!" Butch stood off to the side, having been shoved away in Brick's haste. He chuckled awkwardly, his eyes on his brother's tense shoulders.

"Oops?"

* * *

Blossom pushed herself to go faster, following the fading trail of her sister's light green streak. She caught up to her at a dead end, Buttercup facing away from her. She stopped at the entrance to the dead end, effectively blocking any escape.

"What do you want Bossy Blossy?" She rolled her eyes, not amused at the attempt to get her riled up.

"Why are you doing this? We both know you haven't gone crazy, so what's going on?" Buttercup slowly turned toward her, and when she was fully facing her sister, Blossom gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in horror.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter! Thank you for the continued support, and hopefully this can hold you until the next update. Leave me a review and let me know what you think. See you next chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15

Blossom stared in horror as her sister slowly turned toward her, although it wan't her sister at all. Whatever it was had the body of Buttercup, but its face was blank, a clean slate devoid of the key components of a face. She stood frozen in place, her mind struggling to process what her eyes were telling her.

"B-buttercup...what..." The thing moved silently toward her, reaching out brush against her arms. Its hands latched on when they came into contact with her, trailing up her arms and tickling her neck. It stopped when it reached her face, cupping it tenderly as it brushed over her. Blossom screamed at herself to _move_ , but her body was entranced under the things spell. Her bubblegum pink orbs nearly popped out of her head when she saw the thing transform, shifting and phasing and blurring as it took on her features. Buttercup's body was replaced with her own, her face taking shape on what was previously a blank canvas. However, there were a few small differences between Blossom and the impostor. A wild blow replaced her own neat one, and her features were slightly sharper, an evil glint shining in her slightly darker eyes. It wore a pink and red plaid skirt paired with a simple red button up and black Mary Jane's. When the transformation was complete, the thing shot her a wink as it stepped back, running manicured nails over its new face.

"Oh thank heavens! You don't know how hard it is to get a point across when you have nothing to convey it with. It was just my luck you spotted me as I was escaping. Posing as your sister proved to be the perfect gamble after all." Blossom blinked, but her body remained where it was. The shape shifter seemed to realize this, because she snapped her fingers, freeing Blossom. Immediately Blossom launched herself at her doppelganger, straddling her hips and balling her fist in her hair.

"What are you? Where's Buttercup?" It chuckled, lips staying in that infuriating smirk.

"You can call me Berserk. In a sense I"m you, but the parts of you you won't accept." Blossom eyed her up and down, a frown pulling at her face.

"If you're me, why'd you look like Buttercup when I first saw you?" Berserk shrugged, waving her hand vaguely.

"We can take any form we like, and since I had only met Buttercup so far, I took her form. I couldn't take her full form since I'd never touched her though, but it certainly helped to lure _you_ in. Thanks to you, I have a full form once again." Blossom nodded, accepting the information for now.

"That doesn't explain what you're doing here."

"I'm here to keep you here of course. Buttercup still has too much good in her, so Him is hoping he can break her, and her sisters, while everyone's trapped in the same space. And now that you and Brick are separated, there's even _less_ chance of you escaping! Plus, it's poetic isn't it? Being defeated by the parts of you you refuse to acknowledge?" Blossom narrowed her eyes into slits, light pink energy balls forming in her hands.

"I'll make quick work of you and find the girls so we can get out of her. And since Him continues to insist on messing with _my_ sister, I'll _end_ him." Berserk's eyes flashed in excitement as she too began charging an attack. _Everything's going according to plan Master._

* * *

Buttercup sighed. She couldn't help the adrenaline and excitement that coursed through her veins at first, fighting her way through the maze without even a moment to catch her breath before something else was attacking. She'd decided to continue left, turning right or straight only when she had to. However, as time went on the severity of the situation crashed around her, causing her shoulders to physically sag under the weight of her growing guilt. She'd endangered the boys and unintentionally her sisters all for her own selfish reasons. She _was_ a monster, because she'd put herself above the well-being of the people who meant more than the world to her. _And for what? A stupid dream? It only came true because of_ my _actions._ She kicked a stray piece of rubble, her eyes to the ground. _I can't believe I thought this was a good idea. And going to_ Him?! _What was I thinking?_ She turned another corner and suddenly her body froze, her eyes blinking in confusion. She tried to move, but it was as if she'd been locked in cement. She looked around slowly, eyes coming to rest on a creature slowly moving toward her, its arms outstretched. As soon as they came into contact with each other, Buttercup felt shivers race up her prone spine as it transformed. It raised its probing touch up her arms and over her shoulders until it reached her face, cupping it gently as the transformation continued. The creature transformed into her, long ebony locks spiking wildly as it tumbled down the thing's back, jade green eyes shining in mischief as they connected with her own. Her outfit was also slightly different than hers, pairing provocative fishnet tights with tight leather shorts and a black and green crop top hoodie. Spiked finger-less gloves covered her hands, and knee high black combat boots finished the look. The creature pulled her hands away, snapping her fingers and releasing Buttercup from her spell. Buttercup stretched herself back out, throwing a glare at the new foe.

"Who are you and why do you look like a knockoff version of me?" The creature scoffed but let the barb drop. She had a job to do after all.

"You can call me Brute. I'm you, but the parts you constantly reject." Now it was Buttercup's turn to scoff.

"Oh please. What is this? Where are my sisters? I'm not interested in being here any longer."

"Do I look like the info desk to you? I don't know. We'll find them in time."

" _We_ aren't going anywhere." Brute giggled, amused.

"Oh hon, you're not leaving without me. Whether that's by beating or accepting me, we're _both_ getting out of here." Buttercup slipped into a fighting stance, her eyes charging.

"If that's all I have to do, then fine. Don't blame me for pounding you into the rock." Brute slid into her own fighting stance, her eyes charging as well.

"That's _if_ you can."

* * *

Bubbles sighed for the umpteenth time. They had found another part of the maze, but with all the twists and turns neither she nor Boomer were sure if they were any closer to finding the exit. She was frustrated, tired, and getting real annoyed at the few flashes of her reflection she caught in some of the more reflective parts of the walls. Boomer tried to keep their optimism high, but he was just as tired. He spotted a bench and grabbed her wrist excitedly, pulling her over to take advantage of the stroke of good luck. Bubbles didn't protest as she was led over, feeling her body hum in relief as soon as she dropped onto the bench. Boomer flopped down next to her, letting out a dramatic sigh.

"My feet are killing me. I don't think it was this tiring the last time I was here. It's been quiet though, which has me worried." Bubbles tilted her head, her face scrunched in a thoughtful look.

"You're right. I can't hear any commotion anymore. I'm worried Boomie. I know everyone can take care of themselves, but we're weaker alone, and I have a feeling something is wrong." Boomer nodded, stretching his back until he heard a satisfying pop.

"There's been a feeling of dread creeping up on me for awhile now. I thought something would pop up as we walked, but nothing's happened yet. Instead of trying to find the exit, I think we need to find the others." Bubbles nodded as Boomer grabbed her hand, tightening his grip when Bubbles tried to pull away after she was standing. At her questioning look, he shot her a sobering look. "Don't let go of my hand. I don't want us getting separated." Bubbles nodded as he turned away, her voice failing her. Boomer had looked so... _serious_. He was attractive before, but that look on his face caused her heart to stutter in her chest. _This side of him is dangerous_...

* * *

 **Oh my, things are heating up! Will the girls be able to handle these new enemies? After all, your greatest enemy is yourself...As always thank you to all my lovely readers and reviewers, and hopefully I'll have the next chapter uploaded by tomorrow.**


	16. Chapter 16

"Brick will you _slow down!_ Besides I'm pretty sure we're just going around in circles. Brick groaned, slowing down, but barely.

"We need to find the others and get out of here before Him starts playing mind games. But we can't do that because you _insist_ on moving like a _sloth_!" Butch huffed, crossing his toned arms.

"We're still lost, so it doesn't really matter how fast we go." Brick rolled his eyes, dropping it. He ignored Butch's victorious smirk, looking around at where they were. They had hit a dead end, doubling back. The maze shifted again, causing the boys to turn left instead of right, following the new winding path. They walked in silence, Brick arguing that if Butch insisted on being loud and obnoxious he could find his own way out of here. Butch suddenly stopped, grabbing his brother's arm. "Stop, I hear something." Brick did so, straining his ears to catch anything other than the sound of his own heart beat. Soft footfalls echoed through the maze, caressing their ears briefly before disappearing. Brick and Butch didn't have to look each other, pressing themselves on opposite walls. They wouldn't attack until they had a clear shot, just in case it was one of them.

* * *

Bubbles was had yet to meet up with anyone, _or_ find the exit to this godforsaken place. Her shoes were not appropriate for this, as they were her bunny slippers. She could fly, but she wanted to conserve as much energy as she could since they were obviously going to be there awhile. Boomer looked no better, having gone silent as he soon gave up the cheery charade and slipped into misery beside her.

"If Brick were here..." Bubbles groaned. They were just as competent as their older siblings. It was just that she and Boomer were content as followers, but now that was coming back to bite them.

"Well he's not here right now is he? So shut up already Boomer. We're competent enough to find them at least. Now come on I think we should turn this way." Boomer nodded, following Bubbles as she lifted her head and marched on with renewed vigor. He hung back slightly so she couldn't see his victorious grin. He knew that of course, he wasn't stupid, and neither was she. But he couldn't let her sink any further into her self imposed pity party, and he knew she was already annoyed. Whining would get on her nerves since she'd think he didn't think enough of himself, and it looks like his little plan worked. He hurried to catch back up, not realizing how far he'd fallen back while wrapped up in his thoughts. Bubbles turned back to look at him but he waved her off, his face back to its boyish grin.

* * *

"Brick let's go this way." Butch pointed to a slight turn in the path, already walking that way. Brick silently followed him, beginning to feel the effects of his battles. He wasn't tired by any means, but he was definitely getting weary.

"Where the heck is Boomer? We should've seen him by now." Butch shrugged, not too concerned one way or another. His brother was no slouch when he got serious after all.

"Dunno, but I'm sure we'll see him so-" Butch cut off with a grunt, a feminine squeal accompanying it. Brick tensed, rushing forward to see what happened. But when he spotted Butch buried under an embarrassed Bubbles, he relaxed. Bubbles stammered an apology, her cheeks flaming. Butch waved her off, but made no move to push her off him. Boomer finally came into view, frowning when he too saw the scene. He reached down and helped Bubbles up, drawing her in closer than necessary while shooting daggers at his brother. Butch brushed himself off, raising his hands in appeasement in response to Boomer's look. Brick stepped forward, already over Boomer's jealousy. It's not like he had any actual competition here, and especially not from Butch.

"Good to see you're alive Boomer, Bubbles. Have either of you seen anyone else?" Both blues shook their head, Bubbles shrugging out of Boomer's hold. She didn't mind it, but now was not the time.

"No, but something's happening with my sisters. I know it." Brick nodded, accepting that.

"So where do we go now?"

"Not the way we came, that was a dead end."

"How about that way?" Boomer pointed down a slightly darker path, the ground more broken than what they'd come across so far. The group decided to head that way, figuring it couldn't get any worse. The further they went, the darker the path became, until the only light to be seen were their glowing eyes. Bubbles moved closer to Boomer, a chill sweeping through the group.

"Maybe we should turn back..." Brick didn't even look back, continuing to push forward.

"No. I have a hunch this is the exit. Everything about this place screams turn back. We must be going the right way."

"I guess..." The teens soldiered on, now contending with a heat wave that blasted down the path, but a light shone from a gap in the wall. They sprinted ahead, praying that Brick was right. Thankfully he was, but not everyone burst through the exit. Butch collapsed to the ground in relief, while Boomer turned to his right, where Bubbles had been only seconds ago. Confused at her absence, he looked around, seeing her standing at the mouth of the exit, but not stepping through.

"Bubbles what are you doing? Come on!" She shook her head, stepping back further.

"I can't. I'm not leaving without my sisters." She turned away, giving one last look at Boomer before disappearing back into the maze. Boomer made to follow her but ran into a barrier, unable to reenter the maze. He slammed his fists on it, refusing to let up as he looked for a weakness.

"No. No! Bubbles don't be foolish! Come back!" His knuckles bruised but didn't bleed as he continued to slam against the invisible force. Butch placed a hand on his shoulder, waiting until he turned to look at him to shake his head. Brick crossed his arms, knowing nothing he said would help right now. Pink and red smoke swirled behind them, Him rising from the ground with his claws crossed leisurely in front of him.

" _That went better than expected. To think i would get **all three**_ _Powerpuff Girls in one fell **swoop**_." The boys tensed, turning slowly to face their adoptive father.

"What have you done?" Him grinned, his twisted smile sending chills through the boys. He leaned forward, trapping Brick's cheeks painfully between his unforgiving claws.

" _Oh dear. It's not what **I've** done to them. It's what they're going to do to **themselves.**_ " His maniacal laughter rang around them as he vanished, leaving the boys anxious for their girls, unable to do anything but wait at the exit. However, even that was taken from them as smoke again filled the space, filling their longs and obstructing their gazes as they were knocked out, transported back home.


	17. Chapter 17

"What? Is that all you've got Blossom?!" Said girl panted, her glare the only thing still going strong. Berserk had toyed with her, baiting her to use more power to attack than she'd liked. Blossom was also running dangerously low from being in the maze so long. She could barely levitate, returning to the ground to save her energy.

"Shut it Berserk. Why don't you come down here and actually face me." Berserk grinned as she descended, landing in front of Blossom. Blossom shot forward the second Berserk's feet hit the ground, taking the girl by surprise and slamming her to the ground. Blossom screamed as she hit her repeatedly in her face, ripping her wild bow from her hair and gathering her hair in her hand, using it to slam her head into the ground. She brought it back up, bringing her face right in front of hers. "I won't ask again. _Where_ are my sisters?" Berserk spit blood in her face but Blossom stayed firm, unfazed. The girl was just a creation of Him, so she had no sympathy or patience to play with her. "If you won't tell me I'll find them myself." She let her go, slamming her head one last time before standing, ready to move on. Berserk laughed, her head twisting and shaking until it healed itself, rearranged until it was once again smooth and unblemished.

"I told you didn't I? You have to accept of reject what I represent. And since you refuse to do either, you _lose_." She flew at her, snatching her around the waist and lifting her up before chucking her down, following her descent as she slammed into the ground and following through with a high speed stomp straight to her stomach.

"Ka-ha!" Blossom choked on her own spit as the air was forced from her lungs, unconsciously curled on her side. Berserk laughed, kicking Blossom aside, her hands behind her back as she stalked forward. Blossom rose on shaky legs, wiping the blood from her mouth. She used her ice breath, but Berserk managed to throw herself out of the line of fire just in time. She grinned, she had Blossom right where she wanted her. The pink puff was tired, worried for her sisters, and ready to fall over the edge if meant she could finish this and go where she was needed.

"Oh come _on_ Blossy! You're still holding back!" Blossom opened her mouth to protest, but Berserk cut her off. "You're still fighting like a _hero_. Surely you aren't a hero all the time!" Blossom stopped, her brows scrunching up. That _was_ true. She _wasn't_ a hero all the time, but she certainly acted like it, holding herself and her sisters to a higher standard. _Maybe that's why Buttercup snapped. I don't give either of my sisters room to breathe._ The parts of her she didn't like were mainly the ones she felt she couldn't show because of her hero status. Blossom straightened, her eyes burning as her power skyrocketed. Berserk looked at her, confused, as a pink aura surrounded her. Blossom's eyes glowed as she shot forward, rearing her fist back and throwing a series of quick punches to the center of Berserk's chest, steadily pushing her back. Berserk threw up her knew, but Blossom jumped into the air, dodging it and clasping her hands together and bringing it back down on the girl's head. Berserk groaned as she fell, catching herself on her hands and knees. Blossom wasn't finished, extending her leg and slamming it down on Berserk's back, forcing her to lay flat on the ground. Berserk coughed, struggling to move. Blossom raised her leg, but once again gathered her long auburn hair. Blossom looked down at her in disinterest, charging an energy blast in her other hand. Berserk looked at wide eyed, before relaxing. "This isn't what I had in mind, but not bad Blossy." Blossom released her hair, releasing the blast at point blank range. Berserk didn't even scream, melting back to her faceless form before evaporating. Blossom turned away, not bothering to look back.

* * *

Buttercup managed to grab Brute's ankle, whipping around to slam her into the wall. Brute gasped, but didn't stay down for long. She pushed off the wall, body slamming Buttercup into the opposite wall. Brute jumped back, watching her with narrowed eyes.

"You're not getting it Butters. Is violence all you know?"

"Shut up! Talk is cheap! Let your fists do the talking." Brute spun out of the way, continuing to bait the green puff.

"Is this why you were okay with giving in to Him? That's all you care about?" Brute talked much too much for her liking. She cared about plenty of things! But there was no need to get mushy during a battle, and her softer side should stay right where it was - buried. She launched herself off the wall, managing to land a few energy blasts before Brute fazed from view.

"What the..." She reappeared behind her, bringing her knee up to nail her in the back. Buttercup bent slightly backward, skidding forward until she caught herself. She bent over, trying to stretch her back out while avoiding Brute's barrage of energy blasts and eye beams. Buttercup groaned in frustration. Why was she so hard to take down?!

 _You'll never win unless you accept the things you reject about yourself._ She bit her lip, surrounding herself in her shield to buy herself some time. _I would, but I'm the toughest fighter! The toughest fighter isn't weak. I can't embrace my softer side, or else..._

 _"Wow BC you sure are strong. How come you're always the least exhausted one of us after every fight?" She smirked proudly, wiggling her eyebrows while flexing her muscles, causing her younger sister to giggle._

 _"Because I"m awesome of course! They don't call me the toughest fighter for nothing after all." Blossom shook her head, a soft smile playing across her lips._

 _"BC is only so powerful because of what_ I _taught her." Buttercup rolled her eyes, not agreeing or disagreeing._ The scene melted away to the day of the funeral for the Professor, the girls dressed in all black and Bubbles sobbing in Buttercup's arms. Blossom's lips trembled as her tears made silent tracks down her cheeks, her hand gripping Buttercup's sleeve. Buttercup stood ramrod straight, her face a careful mask as she held herself together. She let her sisters use her for support, keeping herself and them grounded. _That's right. That is the day I got a bit colder..._ She'd buried her own softer feelings, taking on the burden of emotional support in the months that followed, refusing to let herself crumble until she was sure her sisters could stand on their own. And by the time they had, she had forgotten what it felt like to be fully herself. Brute crashed against the shield, which began to crack under the pressure. Buttercup took a deep breath, searching her mind for the corner she'd locked half of herself inside. She found it, unlocking the door and embracing the rush that flowed over her. Meanwhile, her shield burst apart, a lime green light shining into the air and forcing Brute to cover her eyes. Buttercup opened her now glowing eyes, stretching her limbs. She was still badly battered, but felt rejuvenated enough to finish her opponent. She put her fists together, charging a powerful blast that forced Brute into the air. She crashed into Buttercup's waiting leg, paying back the earlier kick to her back. Buttercup raised after her, uninterested in dragging out the fight. She kicked Brute into the wall to disorient her, using her laser beams to finish the job. Brute laughed as she melted into a grotesque faceless doll before completely disintegrating.

"The boss won't be happy about this." Buttercup stayed where she was, lifting her hands in the air and shooting her shield into the air, making it large than normal in an effort to make sure her sisters saw it.

* * *

Bubbles moved slowly along, making sure to watch her step. The maze had shifted again, with the floor crumbling in certain places. She made it to a brighter part of the maze, sighing in relief. A green light suddenly shot into the air, Buttercup's shield floating in the air. If she'd paid more attention, she would've noticed the shield floated slightly higher than she'd been able to fly when trying to escape the first time. She grinned, heading in that direction as best she could. Or she would've if she hadn't been suddenly yanked backwards by her hair. She yelped in pain, hands reaching back to free herself. A feminine giggle sounded behind her, tightening her grip on her precious locks before pushing her away. Bubbles stumbled forward, rubbing her sore head as she turned to her attack. The girl who stood before her looked eerily similar to her. Her long blond hair was curled, secured by dark blue bows. She wore a tight black miniskirt, paired with a black tube top underneath a dark blue spaghetti strap crop top that matched the bows in her hair. She smirked at her, waving sarcastically.

"Well, well, looks like it's finally my turn, though I don't have much to work with." Bubbles blinked, utterly confused.

"Huh? What're you talking about? And who are you?" The girl rolled her eyes, popping her lips in irritation.

"I'm Brat. I'm the embodiment of the parts you reject, which isn't much unfortunately." Bubbles blinked again, but immediately went on the defensive.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't repress anything!" Brat faked left, moving right when Bubbles brought up her left arm to block, leaving her to block at the last minute. Bubbles was forced back, skidding along the ground but catching her doppelganger's fist, using her momentum to throw her over her shoulder and slam her to the ground. Bubbles flew up, skyrocketing back down to smash her foot into the space Brat used to be. Brat combined her hands, electricity crackling around her as she manipulated it into a spiked hammer. Bubbles narrowed her eyes, not sure if she was able to do that. She ducked low, barely escaping the attack aimed at her head. She envisioned a staff, her hands raising to manipulate the blue energy gathering there. A sturdy light blue staff dropped into her waiting hands. Bubbles grinned, victorious, but took too long to revel in her accomplishment. Brat giggled as she swung her hammer into Bubbles's side, throwing her a good ten feet through the air and breaking through some of the walls of the maze. Bubbles coughed as she rose, wiping her mouth. Brat stalked forward, swinging her hammer behind her.

"Oh Bubbles. The longer you deny yourself, the stronger I become and the more likely you are to lose." Bubbles rushed forward, swinging her staff but being blocked by Brat's weapon. Both girls got in the other's face as they locked into a battle of wills. Bubbles pushed back but Bray countered, both girls jumping back before rushing forward. Bubbles spun her staff around, bringing it down diagonally then spinning it to swing horizontally and managing to catch Brat in the back of the leg, tripping her and throwing off her rhythm. Brat yelped as she went down, bracing her arms and hammer on the ground and swinging her legs around to keep Bubbles from taking advantage of her new position. She flipped back to an upright position, banging her hammer on the ground and sending sparks flying along the ground. Bubbles hopped into the air, realizing too late she'd fallen for the trap. Brat appeared behind her, wasting no time hitting Bubbles in the head, sending shock waves through her sister as she slammed into the ground, cracking it.

"AHHH!" Bubbles screamed as she was electrocuted, twitching in the aftershocks.

"I told you Bubbles! You'll never beat me like this!" She floated to stand in front of her, poking her with the staff part of her hammer. "But I expected nothing more from the one made from _sugar_." Her voice spit the word, venom dripping from her tone. She sat down on her haunches, reaching forward to cup her face. "You don't have to be that way though. I can _help_ you. No one has to be sweet and lovable _all the time._ " Bubbles yanked her face away, eyes glowing in warning. Brat didn't have enough time to dodge the attack, slamming into another wall. Her hammer crashed to the side, evaporating as her concentration was broken. Bubbles stood over her, her face twisted with deadly intentions.

"Oh I know. I slowly realized that as I was stuck in here. How _good_ it felt to complain and be slightly pessimistic. BC has even teased me that my cheeriness is creepy. I thought I had to be since that's always what everyone said about me, but I'm not everyone else's definition of Bubbles. I'm _my own_. And it's time I let go of the mold forced upon me since childhood." She shoved her staff into Brat's stomach, forcing the air from the girl's lungs. She wheezed, raising her hands to protect herself but Bubbles smacked them away. "I may not be as ferocious as Buttercup, or as calculating as Blossom, but I'm still _me._ I have my own strengths and weaknesses." She brought her staff down harshly on Brat's head, knocking the girl out. Bubbles dissipated her staff, firing a single energy blast at Brat's prone form. She melted into a faceless being before fading from existence completely. Bubbles turned toward the sky, once again heading towards her sister. "And that's enough."

* * *

 **Goodness I was so on a roll I didn't notice I'd made it this long. But that felt like a good place to stop, and hopefully you guys liked this chapter. I'm pretty satisfied with what I wrote, but let me know what you guys think in the reviews! Also please don't get too used to chapters of this length. I cranked this out after a lot of deliberation, so this won't be the norm. Thank you guys for reading and see you next chapter!**


	18. Chapter 18

Buttercup panted, not sure how much longer she could keep this up. _Just a bit longer, you can hold out for just a bit longer._ Her legs shook, her power draining as she funneled the last of it into her impromptu beacon. _Huh, it would've been smarter to find the exit and_ _ **then**_ _do this. Oh well, too late now._

"BC!" A familiar head of blond hair emerged from around the bend, running over to her.

"Took your sweet time didn't you Bubs?" She giggled, slapping her arm playfully.

"It's not like I could come straight here. We _are_ in a maze after all."

"Thankfully I think I found the exit." Blossom appeared from the left, her bow hanging on by a thread and her clothes disheveled, but otherwise fine. Bubbles and Buttercup were sure they looked no better. Buttercup deactivated her shield with a sigh of relief.

"Thank god. Lead the way Bloss." Blossom looked at her in surprise. It had been awhile since Buttercup had called her that. She smiled, grabbing her sisters' hands and taking off. Buttercup complained about the speed while Bubbles concentrated on staying upright. Blossom ignored the complaints coming from behind her, her focus on remembering which way she'd gone when she'd stumbled on the exit on her way to Buttercup.

"We don't want this stupid thing changing again, so shut up and move it." The girls silenced after that, pushing themselves to go faster. They took a couple of turns, running into a few dead ends and having to double back before finally coming across the exit. Bubbles sighed in relief and overtook her sisters, practically throwing herself through it. Blossom and Buttercup followed suit, bursting through the exit and back in their room at home. The girls looked at each other, before slumping against each other, relieved laughter falling from their lips.

Him threw his monitor across the room, effectively smashing it. He'd been _so close_ this time! How could he have failed _again_?!

The next day the girls returned to school as if nothing happened, going about their daily lives. Brick managed to run into Blossom in the hallway, going to stand beside her locker.

"You seem to be running a bit behind Bloss. Usually you're in class half an hour before it starts." She puffed her cheeks in irritation, not having the patience for this today. She fixed her hair, having tied the ribbon she usually used for her signature bow in her hair, braiding a few strands of her hair back and using the ribbon to secure it. She'd wanted to try a new look but hadn't wanted to change her hair too much, settling for this style instead. It made her look more mature, and let her long auburn locks hang freely. She kept the same conservative outfits though, but Brick didn't mind. It made the prize that much sweeter. He loved her hair, and the way loose strands framed her face was downright sinful. He leaned against the locker next to hers, silently watching her until she closed her locker, raising an eyebrow at his silence. He shot her a salacious grin, leaning in so close Blossom had to lean away to keep their lips from touching. "Dressing up for me now?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully, and she slapped his chest, trying not to notice how firm it felt.

"As if. You've been hanging around Butch too much." He fell into step beside her, his hands casually shoved in his pockets, glaring at anyone who stared at Blossom too long, not that she noticed. She _did_ notice all the female attention Brick was getting, feeling something unfamiliar coil in her belly. _Wait, I'm not_ _ **jealous**_ _am I? No way! That's ridiculous!_ She couldn't deny it did slightly get on her nerves, but then she remembered he wasn't hers to get jealous over. _No matter if I want him to be..._ Now that she'd shed her superhero mold, she could admit her own feelings, including those she harbored for her counterpart. He matched her in intellect, sometimes leaving her speechless, thought he was able to say more off the wall or provocative things she didn't count those. He'd definitely matured and grown handsome, and his _voice_. She'd always been weak to deep, rough voices, and he just happened to have one. She swore it sounded like velvet or melted chocolate pouring over her ears. _And those muscles..._ She shook her head, as if that would dislodge her thoughts. Brick shot her a questioning look, but she was so wrapped up in her own world she didn't notice. "Hey Blossom-"

"Bricky!" Princess appeared out of nowhere, slamming into the poor boy's side and trapping his arm in a vise grip. Blossom turned to look at them before turning away, continuing on to her seat and leaving Brick to suffer. He groaned in frustration, trying to shake the leech off of him.

"Aren't you attached to Butch for your flavor of the week? Leave me alone." Princess grinned, batting her eyes at him. She'd grown into a beautiful young woman who kept her spoiled and bratty attitude, no doubt because of her father, using her money and looks to secure herself as Queen Bee. She usually left him alone, preferring his dark haired brother for some odd reason. So for her to suddenly latch onto him was suspicious.

"Oh Brick aren't you _hilarious!_ Butch isn't here yet, so you'll do." She dragged him over to her seat, scaring the poor boy who had the misfortune to sit next to her. As soon as he was seated, she let go of him, fingers flying across her screen as she lost herself in her phone. Brick sighed, resigned to his fate. He played games on his own phone, devising a plan to get Blossom's number. And he knew just the person to ask.

"Blossom's number? Sure I can give it to you!" He'd found Bubbles in the art room, laughing at something Boomer had said. He'd wisely kept quiet, resolving to tease his brother later. The creepy look Bubbles was shooting him also pushed him to rush this visit. She leaned towards him conspiratorially.

"Blossom deserves _nothing_ but the best. I trust I've made myself clear?" Bubbles emitted an aura that was dangerous, and he could've _sworn_ he saw dark energy gathering around her. He nodded his head mutely, having never seen this side to the adorable puff. She pulled back immediately, smiling brightly. "Great! Good luck! She's even more stubborn than Buttercup when she wants to be." Brick nodded, filing that information for later use. He left the blues alone, not surprised they were getting along so well. They _were_ the most forgiving and laid back of the six after all. Plus they'd spent the majority of the time together in the maze. Something was _bound_ to happen, especially with Boomer already having feelings for the girl. _If only it were that easy for the rest of us..._


	19. Chapter 19

Buttercup buried her head in her arms, not interested in pretending to listen today. She felt eyes on her, but ignored it, preferring instead to catch some much needed sleep. She'd stayed up all night with Blossom, having a rare heart to heart. Blossom had cornered her sister, demanding to know what led her to think pairing with Him, no matter how brief, was a good idea. Buttercup had admitted everything, from killing the monster to the dreams that had plagued her subconsciousness. Tears had fallen from her eyes unbidden, as she admitted her fear of herself and her powers. Blossom had grown serious, fixing her with such a stern look she'd been unable to look away. What she'd said next had made Buttercup break down, releasing the pent up sadness that had morphed into frustration and rage. Bubbles had come downstairs to lend her silent support, knowing her older sister had it handled. The girls had talked about the professor for the first time since his death, finally fully dealing with the feelings they had, and what they'd done to be strong in their own way. The girls had woken up that morning with swollen eyes but light hearts, feeling a weight lifted off them.

"Wake up Butterbutt." She groaned, lazily swatting at the hand poking at her exposed cheek.

"Go _away_. I know this stuff already." The hand paused, moving to grab her shoulder to shake her fully awake.

"Class is over already though..." She shot up, an imprint on her cheek from her sleeve, her half awake gaze shooting daggers at the boy.

"Why didn't you wake me up _earlier?!_ " He stepped back as she gathered her things, shoving everything in her backpack and hastily zipping it up as she maneuvered herself out of the desk. He shrugged, his hand waving in the air.

"I tried, but you wouldn't budge. Must've been having one wicked dream about me." He laughed as he dodged her elbow, grinning at her as he disappeared to his next class. Buttercup groaned in frustration. She _hated_ when he did stupid stuff like that. _At least I'm not as late as I thought_... She managed to slide into her seat just as the warning bell rang, Blossom rolling her eyes at her sister's triumphant smirk.

* * *

"If Boomer and I started dating, how would you react?" The girls around her paused, before Robin sighed dramatically.

"We _all_ knew it was gonna happen eventually Bubs. Did he finally ask you out?" Bubbles blushed, pushing her food around her plate.

"There's an art exhibit happening Saturday he asked if I wanted to go to-" Robin and Ayumi squealed, while Blossom smiled, happy for her. Bubbles's face exploded in a blush, abandoning her food to slowly twirl a strand of hair around her finger. She couldn't stop the proud smile on her face at the fact they encouraged their relationship. She hadn't known what she would've done if the response had been negative. Even Buttercup leaned forward, a teasing smirk on her face.

"I guess calling the blue one because he's cute paid off huh?" Blossom erupted in laughter she tried hard to stifle, while Bubbles threw a mock glare at her green eyed sister. They promised they wouldn't bring that up!

"Oh hush! Yes it did! Though I never heard you _or_ Blossom complaining about the boys _you_ got stuck with as a result." Blossom sputtered while Buttercup scoffed.

"Like Twitchy and I would _ever_ -"

"H-he's got a good intellect and challenges me so of _course_ -" Blossom slammed her mouth shut, realizing her mistake. Everyone paused, latching on to the tidbit of information the pink puff had let slip. Buttercup turned critical eyes on her, and Blossom couldn't help but sweat. No one had ever really had a problem with Boomer, he _was_ the most calm out of his brothers. He also wasn't much of a threat unless he wanted to be, which was usually if his brothers asked him to be. But Brick, and especially Butch, were different matters entirely. Butch for obvious reasons, but Buttercup was always uncomfortable around Brick. He was too conniving for her taste, and although he never really bothered her unless Blossom was around, she wasn't sure how to feel about the two leaders together. Then again, she also knew Blossom had grown feelings for the auburn haired teen, but pushed them aside since she felt heroes didn't need that kind of distraction, especially when your crush was the one causing the trouble. But now that she'd shed those ideals of perfection, who was she to tell her sister not to pursue who she wanted? Buttercup nudged Bubbles in the side, whispering loudly in her ear.

"Who knew _Blossom_ would be a follower for once and fall for her counterpart like you have." Bubbles grinned, tossing one of her curled pigtails over her shoulder.

"I know right? But who could blame her? Brick _is_ a catch. If I didn't like Boomer I'd definitely go for him." The table erupted in another fit of laughter as Blossom was speechless, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. Ayumi stopped laughing as her eyes landed on the last puff, a questioning look on her face.

"Does this mean you have hidden feelings for Butch too?" Buttercup huffed, sticking her nose in the air as she turned away.

"Of course not. I don't want a womanizer. Besides, he talks a good game, but he can't handle all this." Buttercup gestured to herself for effect, wiggling her eyebrows in emphasis. The girls laughed again, not noticing the boys were looking at them, wondering what they were laughing so much about.

* * *

The last bell rang and Buttercup stretched, relieved, as she gathered her things to go home.

"Finally!" She practically ran through the halls, expertly dodging through the crowd. She arrived at her locker in record time, shoving what she didn't need for her homework tonight inside. She turned to close her locker when it was slammed close for her, narrowly missing her hand. She turned to the side, ready to glare at whoever was responsible. Just her luck, Princess stood before her with her cronies flocked around her. She smiled, sickly sweet, as she retracted her hand to place on her hip.

"Listen Buttercup, I have no problem with you per say, but Butchie's unhealthy affection for you needs to go." Buttercup rolled her eyes, bored with the conversation. She slung her backpack over her shoulder, about to burst through the small crowd around her.

"Whatever Butch feels towards me is his business. It has nothing to do with me. Now move." Princess did, moving to stand directly in front of her.

"Stay away from him. I need him available when I want him, and him being obsessed with you is inconvenient."

"Don't you have over half the male population at this school vying for your attention? What do you need Butch for so badly?" Princess and her girls giggled, amused at the question. Buttercup didn't know what was so funny, growing increasingly annoyed.

"Oh Buttercup. _No one_ does it better than Butch. He's the definition of the ideal bad boy, even more so now that he's reformed. He'll flirt with anything that walks, but no one's managed to get more than a date or two out of him lately. Can you imagine the boost to my reputation if I broke him out of that?" At Buttercup's blank stare, she huffed and crossed her arms. But it was one of her cronies who swooped in to continue the conversation.

"Word is he wants _you_ so he's not really messing around with the rest of us anymore. Such a shame. Princess at least has Brick, and everyone knows Boomer has the hots for Bubbles, so the rest of us are stuck wanting from afar." She sighed dramatically, one of the other girls patting her back reassuringly. Buttercup, however, was paying full attention now, her eyes narrowing dangerously at Princess. Said girl took a step back, warily eyeing the green puff.

"Since when were you and Brick together? I thought you were always all over Butch." Princess huffed, tired of everyone asking her this. It's not like either of them had girlfriends, no matter what anyone thought she wasn't _that_ low.

"Since I felt like switching it up. It's not like it matters, he's not taken." _He is now._

"And? Leave him alone Princess."

"Why should I listen to you?" Buttercup's smile was deceptively calm as she stepped forward, leaning forward to whisper something in the girl's ear. Princess's eyes grew wide, a shiver crawling down her spine and wrapping around her heart. Buttercup stepped back, grinning at her as her eyes flashed, driving her point home. She didn't move until Princess nodded, walking past the girls without a backwards glance. Princess sank to the ground, thoroughly shaken. She ignored her friends' concern, her eyes following Buttercup's retreating form.


	20. Chapter 20

Buttercup sighed as she slumped back in her black swivel chair. She had finished her homework in record time, having nothing else to do when she'd gotten home. Her sisters were out working on club activities, leaving her the sole occupant of the Powerpuff residence. There were games downstairs, but she'd beat those a thousand times. _Maybe I should go to the arcade...they did just get that new Dance Dance Revolution added in._ She pushed her chair back, moving to grab her converse before heading out. She left a quick note on the island in the kitchen, not knowing when she'd be back. Satisfied, she walked out, turning to lock the door before making her way downtown. The arcade was attached to a larger cafe to promote business. When you got tired or hungry, you could leave the arcade and walk into the cafe for a bite to eat. It also had an outside part of the venue so parents could watch their children while enjoying freshly brewed coffee. Buttercup made her way inside, greeting the people who called out to her. The girls may not fight crime all the time, having let the police force become more self-reliant, but the girls were still relatively popular. She made a beeline through the various multi-colored games, her destination predetermined. The world faded as she spotted her prize. It stood proudly in the middle of the floor, not hindering the walkway as traffic flowed seamlessly around it. A bar at the back was installed to allow players to perform the more difficult moves without worry, with no divider on the sides. Buttercup eagerly surged forward, stepping up onto the platform and beginning to scroll through the music selection on screen. She decided on a song and she began, the direction arrows lighting up underneath her feet as the song progressively got harder, her eyes laser focused on the screen as she concentrated. A small crowd had gathered behind her as her score continued to climb, sweat beginning to gather on her brow as she pushed herself to do better, not satisfied with her results yet. Her feet moved across the arrows in rapid succession, nailing the moves as her arms swung gracefully through the air, aiding her body's balance as she twisted and turned in time with the arrows flashing on screen. She managed to nail the finishing move, dropping into a split, panting as exhilaration shook her to the core. She loved this game, since she could go all out in dance, without having to worry about consequences. Her power never ran rampant, lying dormant as she moved, content to stay where it was until she called upon it.

"That was awesome Buttercup!" She was snapped out of her thoughts by the cheers of the crowd around her. She blushed, still not sure how to handle praise after all these years. She used the railing to stand, giving a small bow in hopes of allowing her face to cool off enough she wouldn't embarrass herself any further. Once she was sure her cheeks were back tot heir normal color, she stood, smiling.

"Thanks! It wasn't that impressive though..." The crowd gave her a playful eye roll at her modesty, laughing and congratulating her on her score as they began to disperse, seeing as their entertainment had ended. A boy around her age stayed back, grinning confidently at her.

"You shouldn't be so modest Buttercup. That performance was amazing." She laughed nervously, not sure how to react. She wasn't sure if he was hitting on her or not, so she decided to just assume he wasn't and treat the stranger like one of her friends.

"Thanks!" His eyes sparkled as he laid his hand on her arm. She tensed, not because it was painful, but because the only people who did that were close to her, and she didn't know him like that.

"Do you dance?" She shrugged, using the opportunity to shrug off his touch. He didn't seem to take offense, letting it drop harmlessly back to his side.

"Sometimes." He grinned, and although he was cute, he wasn't her type. She didn't like blonds, no matter how cut the jaw line or how inviting the deep hazel eyes.

"Well do you-" He cut himself off suddenly, seemingly catching a glimpse at something else before snapping his eyes back to hers, clearing his throat. "I must be going, I think my little brother is tired enough by now. Nice talking to you Buttercup. I hope we run into each other soon." He hightailed it away from her like the Devil was hot on his heels. Confused, she brushed off the weird encounter. She turned back to the game, pleased no one had gotten on it while she was talking. She stepped back up, beginning to select another song when she felt eyes on her. She turned to her left, where the other dance platform sat waiting on its player.

"Are you stalking me?" His devilish smirk was alluring as he stepped up onto the remaining platform, shuffling from foot to foot while he waited for her to pick a song.

"It's an arcade Butterbutt. You can't control who just happens to be here." She rolled her expressive eyes, gesturing to the game.

"But I can control who I play with. Shoo." She waved her hand at him to drive home her point, but he simply laughed her off. His eyes glittered in challenge as he dragged his eyes down her body.

"What? Scared you'll lose if you actually play with someone?" Buttercup huffed, turning away from him as she chose a more difficult song for them. Her face portrayed her own challenge as the song began.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya."

* * *

Blossom tapped the eraser against her cheek, deep in thought. She'd finished her homework and helped Bubbles with hers, proud her sister was taking more initiative with it. Bubbles was content with being average, only shining in classes that interested her. The auburn haired girl sighed, leaning back in her dark pink and black bubble chair. She could watch a movie, but she wasn't in the mood for that. She could bother Bubbles, but her sister was on the phone, no doubt with Boomer, if her giggles and elevated tone were any indication. _I guess I could go to the park and write a bit..._ She pushed herself up, stretching as her body unfolded itself. She hadn't realized just how long she'd been sitting there. She poked her head into Bubbles's room, mouthing where she was going. Bubbles nodded, her feet kicking idly in the air she listened to whatever was being said on the other end. Blossom glided down the stairs, grabbing her black and gray striped beret. Armed with her messenger bag, she walked through the door, deciding to take the long way to the park, cutting through downtown. _Maybe I'll stop by Scoops! and get some ice cream..._ She hummed as she walked, admiring the beauty of Townsville. Monsters didn't come around as often anymore, so they were able to plant more greenery and make the town more beautiful without worrying about impending destruction making their efforts for naught. She waved and greeted a few people, stopping to window shop at a few stores. She could use some new clothes, but she'd wait for Bubbles and Buttercup before she went shopping. She spotted _Scoops!_ on the left, and walked up, fully intending to go inside and partake in the creamy deliciousness that was double chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. However, when she got to the door she made a hard left, diving low to peek in through the windows. In one of the booths, sat her lime green eyed sister and her emerald eyed counterpart, talking as they ate their treats. Her mouth fell open as she continued watching, not believing her luck. She'd stumbled on Buttercup on a _date!_

"Oh my gosh I can't believe this!" She internally cheered at her luck, thanking her earlier boredom.

"I know right? Who would've thought we'd ever see the day Buttercup gave _him_ the time of day."

"I know! I _knew_ she liked him! She was just too stubborn to admit it."

"I guess. Butch probably just wore her down until she said yes."

"Buttercup doesn't do anything she doesn't want to do. So if she said yes, it's because maybe a small part of her wanted to -" She stopped, belatedly realizing she wasn't talking to herself. She turned her head, her eyes growing wide as beside her crouched low sat Brick, grinning disarmingly at her. She sputtered, backpedaling quickly.

"Sup?"

"What...what are you doing?!" She whispered harshly, pointing at him. He shrugged, gently pushing her finger out of his face.

"I saw you over here crouching suspiciously, so I thought I'd come see what you were up to. I didn't think I'd get such a treat." He left out how good she currently looked, keeping that part to himself. Before Blossom could say anymore the greens stood, Buttercup licking her fingers clean and Butch's eyes following the motions, swallowing hard. Buttercup didn't notice, making her way to the door. Blossom and Brick looked at each other in panic, before scurrying to the side, out of sight of the unlikely couple. Blossom thought it was over, but Buttercup grabbed Butch's hand, dragging him along further into downtown, toward the stores. Blossom emerged from the side of the building when the coast was clear, fixing her beret and dusting off her clothes. Brick stepped out from behind her, giving her a mischievous look. "Are we following them?" Blossom winked, beginning to walk away. Brick followed her movements with his eyes, catching up before she was any the wiser to his slight hesitation.

"Of course. Bubbles is gonna _love_ this."


	21. Chapter 21

"Ha! I told you!"

"Whatever, I was just warming up." Buttercup had beaten him _again_. She moved with a grace he possessed, but couldn't use because he kept getting distracted by her. He had made the mistake of turning to her, his mouth poised to taunt, but the sight of her short circuited his brain. Her brows were furrowed in concentration. Sweat had given an enticing sheen to her skin, and he couldn't help the places his mind went as he thought of other ways he could make her sweat. He hadn't realized he'd been distracted so long until she turned to him in triumph, her smirk teasing as she basked in her victory. Butch had huffed, crossing his arms as he turned away from her, demanding a rematch. She'd obliged, but the next song had been even harder, and Butch would never admit that his foot had slipped at a crucial combo, allowing her to win once again. Buttercup had called it at that one, turning to him in excitement.

"So what do I win?" He smirked, grabbing her and dragging her against him.

"A date." She scowled, but then her eyes turned mischievous, clutching his shirt tighter. Butch swallowed, suddenly nervous.

"Okay." She took advantage of his shock, wiggling out of his hold and beginning to walk away. She stopped when she noticed he wasn't following, turning to look back at him over her shoulder.

"So? Are you coming or what? I don't have all day Butchie boy." He shook out of his daze and followed after her, throwing his arm over her shoulder and ignoring her protests. He would be taking full advantage of her sudden personality change, even if it came back to bite him.

They'd stopped at _Scoops!_ , both teens agreeing to the sweet treat after their impromptu workout. Buttercup got a simple rocky road, while Butch got chocolate and cookies and creme. They settled at a booth, talking as they ate, and for the first time Buttercup didn't mind his company. He was surprisingly funny, and could be enjoyable when he wasn't being overly annoying and flirty. Butch shared some of her interests, but he didn't enjoy dancing as much as she did, even though he was surprisingly good at it. He preferred boxing and even hockey, though his favorite sport was still basketball and soccer. She preferred basketball and swimming, loving the way the water felt as she glided through it. It was why she never protested when Bubbles decided the girls would go to the beach for the day. Blossom was a volleyball star and Bubbles loved gymnastics and cheer since she was so flexible. Blossom danced with her sometimes, and in turn Buttercup would sometimes play chess with her older sister, living for the rare moments she actually won. She'd asked him about his twitch, and is if summoned, the skin above his eye jumped in response. He slapped a hand over his eye as she burst out laughing, demanding she stop looking at it. Overall, she'd accepted the date for the food, but found herself actually having a good time, not that she'd ever tell _him_ that. His head would inflate even more than it already was, and she wasn't sure Townsville was big enough to contain his massive ego as it was. She polished off the rest of her ice cream, moving to stand as Butch followed suit. Buttercup made her way to the door, catching movement out of the corner of her eye. But when she turned her head to investigate, nothing was there. _I probably imagined it._ Brushing it off, she grabbed Butch, heading further into the heart of downtown.

Butch sighed, his arms weighed down by shopping bags as he trailed behind his companion. She had zipped in and out of stores with surprising speed, grabbing what she wanted before paying and rushing off to the next destination. She had bought outfits for dance, working out, just to lounge around the house, and was now browsing the shelves of a bookstore, chatting excitedly with the store owner. Butch spotted a chair, plopping down into it in relief. The cushioned chairs were still wonderfully soft despite their obvious use, the couches and tables sprinkled around his area immaculately kept. The store had a welcoming feel to it, the faint scent of sweets wafting from the display case. He was surprised at this side of Buttercup, though he had other interests than fighting as well, he never pegged her for a shopping fanatic, though even _he_ could stomach it when he got on a roll when looking for new boxing equipment or works to help him improve his technique. He hadn't realized he zoned out until Buttercup slapped him upside the head, staring at him expectantly. He huffed, standing and following her out. He was thankful they seemed to be heading to her house. She opened the door for him, gesturing to the living room for him to deposit her bags. He did so gently, knowing she'd skin him alive if he just threw them down with reckless abandon. He turned to the door, prepared to walk through it without a backwards glance when her voice stopped him.

"It wasn't awful." He grinned, knowing that was all he was going to get from her. For now, that was enough.

"Of course it wasn't. I never disappoint." He threw her a wink over his shoulder before leaving so she couldn't get the last word. She huffed, crossing her arms. The small smile that broke out across her features flashed briefly before she scowled, realizing her mistake. _I should've had him take these upstairs for me...dang it._

* * *

 _"Oh my gosh Brick! They're on a date!"_ The leaders hid at a quaint coffee shop, observing the pair that had yet to leave the bookstore. They could only see Butch slumped in a chair through the window, but that didn't stop Blossom's wild imagination from running rampant. _How long has this been going on?! Surely not long! I would've noticed before now if this was a thing._ Brick had accompanied her, citing the rare opportunity for later blackmail as his reasons for tagging along and Blossom bought it without complaint. It wasn't often that the two hung out, and now that Blossom knew her own feelings for the red eyed Ruff, she would take what she could get.

"I can see that Bloss. I _do_ have eyes ya know." She childishly stuck out her tongue and he rolled his eyes in response. "Keep sticking your tongue out like that and I'll bite it." Blossom reeled her tongue back into her mouth hastily, her cheeks flaming. She didn't know whether to read too much into that though, because he said it so off-handedly. _He's probably just teasing me like always._ Her mood briefly turned sour, until Brick nudged her shoulder. Buttercup and Butch were leaving, heading in the direction of the Puff residence. Blossom sighed, standing as the couple continued out of sight.

"Well that was fun, but I guess I'll head home too since it's over." Brick grabbed her wrist, halting her movements. Silently he pointed in the direction of the theaters, a small smirk on his lips.

"Wanna catch a movie?" Blossom rebelled against the heat trying to crawl up her cheeks. If he wanted to continue their time together, who was she to complain?

"Okay."


	22. Chapter 22

Blossom sighed as she closed the door behind her. She hadn't realized it had gotten so late. Brick hadn't been as insufferable as usual, but she wouldn't get her hopes up just yet. She locked the door behind her before climbing the stairs, too tired to fly. She checked in on Bubbles first since her room was at the top of the stairs, pleased that her blue eyed sister was sleeping soundly. Next was Buttercup, but when Blossom opened the door softly, she was surprised to see her sister still awake, lying upside down on her black and green striped duvet. Buttercup opened her eyes when the door opened, spotting her sister.

"What's up?" Blossom shrugged and opened the door all the way, stepping inside and laying down on the bed beside her.

"I was just checking on you. It's late, what are you doing up? You're usually the first one down, especially after a long day." Buttercup smirked, rolling over and shifting to lay facing her nosy sister. She obviously was in the mood for a conversation, so Buttercup would humor her since she couldn't sleep anyway.

"Can't sleep. Why'd you come home so late?" Blossom blushed, and that was all the answer needed. Still, she felt her face stretching to accommodate the teasing smile breaking out on her features. Blossom blushed harder at the look, pouting and throwing her hands in the air.

"It was just a date! It's not a big deal-"

"Oh ho, a _date_ huh?" Blossom tossed her hair over her shoulder, smirking herself.

"Yes. A _date._ " She knew Bubbles would be more open to this topic, but she appreciated Buttercup for playing along with her.

"So? How did it go?" Blossom proceeded to gush about the evening, her eyes sparkling as she recounted their adventure. Buttercup nodded along, throwing out a comment here and there. Blossom flopped back on the bed, sighing dramatically as she finally ran out of air and wrapped up her story. Buttercup sighed in relief, but it seemed she wasn't out of the woods just yet.

"So? When are you going to make a move on Butch?" Buttercup choked on air, screwing her face up in disgust.

"Never. Why would I do that?" Blossom rolled her eyes. For someone so smart, she sure was dumb.

"What do you mean why? You like him don't you?

"No. Too much of a womanizer for my tastes." _She shot that down so fast!_ Blossom chuckled awkwardly, switching her tactics.

"So if he wasn't flirting with anything that moved you'd be okay with him?" Buttercup shrugged, shifting to the head of the bed so she could lean against the headboard.

"I don't know. I'm not saying he's ugly, and I won't complain about our fights, but his womanizing is a big part of his personality, and I'm not into that. I can't picture Butch _not_ flirting with any girl he sees, so I can't picture us together either." She realized her mistake when Blossom got that creepy Cheshire grin on her face. Buttercup opened her mouth to backtrack and clarify but it was too late.

"So the only thing holding you back _is_ his flirting! You _do_ have feelings for him! I knew it!"

"No wait Bloss I don't -"

"No need to worry. I'll do something about it."

"Bloss seriously -" Blossom zipped out of the room, and Buttercup groaned as she heard the door opening and slamming shut. Buttercup threw on a hoodie and shorts, forgoing shoes as she raced to follow her sister.

Blossom crashed into the Jojo home, her unwavering gaze surveying the room. Her eyes immediately noticed the three ruffs looking at her in varying degrees of surprise. Brick had just opened his door, his blood red eyes wide in surprise as he continued to open the door all the way, revealing he was only clad in boxers. Blossom fought valiently to keep the blood from rushing to her cheeks and her eyes resolutely trained on _anything_ else. Boomer was paused in the doorway of the kitchen, his hands clutching a dish towel as water dropped softly on the floor. Butch had his arm wrapped around a pretty brunette, from what she could see, his head turned to stare at her in bewildered shock. Blossom honed in on her target, growing red with righteous fury at the position she found the green ruff in. She'd heard the rumors around school that Butch had toned it down to flirting, so who was this random chick moving in on her sister's man?! Butch pushed the brunette inside his room, turning to face the rest of the occupants of the room. Boomer went back into the kitchen to put down the wet rag, coming back to lean against the doorway.

"What're you doing here Bloss?" Her gaze darted to Brick again, drinking in the rare view before snapping her eyes back up to his face before he could call her out for checking him out.

"I came to talk to Butch-" A sudden breeze bursting in from the still opened doorway alerted the teens to the new presence. Buttercup stood their barefoot, breathing hard. She'd pushed herself to her limits so she could get here before Blossom put her foot in her mouth and revealed something Buttercup _herself_ hadn't admitted yet. She ignored everyone except her sister, grabbing her hand.

"Come on leader girl we're going home." Blossom huffed, used to Buttercup's stubborn nature. She was doing this for her own good, lord knows she wouldn't do this on her own. She wiggled out of the firm hold, grinning innocently.

"You can head home first. I still need to talk to Butch." Buttercup widened her eyes slightly, silently declaring that a _bad idea_.

"Really? I'm sure it can wait."

"No it can't."

"Yes it can."

"No. It can't."

" _Yes it can_."

"Last I checked _I_ was in charge here."

"Blossom if you don't come with me _right now_ I swear -" Petite arms wrapped around Butch's waist, the unnamed brunette making her reappearance.

"Butchie when are we gonna go get something to eat? I'm hungry." Blossom and Buttercup's heads whipped around to face Butch, who suddenly felt a chill race down his spine at the cold looks he was suddenly receiving.

"We can go get something in a minute..." He trailed off as he pushed her toward the kitchen. The brunette shrugged, waving at the powerpuffs as she passed them. Blossom recognized the girl as the one who sat two rows in front of her in english. Buttercup turned back to her sister without a word, grabbing her hand again and pulling her out. This time Blossom didn't protest, shooting daggers at the boys as they left.

* * *

"Buttercup slow down!" Blossom pushed herself to go faster as Buttercup flew ahead, her hair whipping in the self-created breeze. She'd always been slightly faster than her, though not as fast as Bubbles, and right now Blossom was cursing that fact. Despite her best efforts, Buttercup reached the house first, slamming the door open and rushing to her room before Blossom could finish locking the door behind them. She huffed, turning to the top of the stairs where Bubbles stood, sleepily rubbing her eyes as she emerged fully from her room.

"What's with all the racket...?" She peaked down at Blossom, having been woken up by Buttercup's grand re-entrance into the house. She'd been half-joking when she asked, but sobered at the look on her eldest sister's face. "What happened?" Blossom waved her hand at her, turning toward the kitchen to make them some hot chocolate. It was obvious neither of them were going to be getting much sleep tonight.

* * *

Butch followed the girl into the kitchen, shrugging off his brothers' looks. Boomer and Brick shared a look, shaking their heads at their idiot brother. He was even getting girls that resembled Buttercup, no doubt unconsciously. The fool wouldn't even admit he was pining after the puff. Butch sent the girl home after they finished eating, no longer in the mood to do anything, and barely able to focus on her as his mind replayed the short time his puff was here. _What was she doing here anyway? And what did Blossom want?_ Boomer closed the door after the brunette, Stephanie, left, locking it behind her. He turned to his older brother, knowing Brick certainly wasn't going to bring it up in a constructive way.

"Butch-"

"So you're back to this?" Butch rolled his eyes to look at his older brother, who was giving him an unimpressed look. He shrugged, popping the tab on his orange soda.

"Yeah. I got bored and it's not like she's interested. So what's the problem."

"Don't bring them here. I won't tell you again." He turned to his room, obviously intending to leave it at that as he disappeared through the black and red door.

"You're acting pathetic. She's not interested because you've never given her a reason to be." Butch whipped around to glare at his blond brother. He stood slowly, walking around the couch to pass his brother, no longer interested in wasting time in the living room.

"Not all of us have been pining for the other since we were kids." Boomer blushed but pressed on, or he would've if Butch hadn't bumped his shoulder and slammed his door shut, effectively ending any further conversation. Boomer huffed, going in to his own room.

"At least I'm man enough to go after what I want."

* * *

Angry was an understatement. Confusion didn't begin to cover it. She was never wrong, yet Blossom's rendition of the night's events, minus her date, went against everything she previously believed. Didn't Butch like Buttercup? She could have sworn he had calmed down on his womanizing ways. She'd even helped, spreading the rumor that he was interested in her sister, so the girls had approached him with the understanding that flirting would be as far as it went. But now she was learning he'd picked up his old habits and brought someone _home_?! Oh this would _not_ do. Not at all. She zoned back in to her sister, who was looking at her expectantly. Bubbles waved off whatever she'd said, knowing she didn't know anyway.

"We have to do something. Those two are stubborn, and we both know Buttercup will retreat further into herself after this, regardless of whether or not anything happened. Who did you say that girl was?" Blossom tilted her head in thought, trying to wrack her brain for the information.

"I believe her name was...Sherry? Stacy? Stephanie? Stephanie!" Bubbles nodded, taking their empty mugs to the kitchen sink.

"I see."


	23. Chapter 23

"Bubbles I look ridiculous." Bubbles waved her off, stepping back to admire her work. Buttercup wore a forest green crop top with off the shoulder sleeves, underneath black short overalls. Cute combat ankle boots covered her feet, silver buckles matching the small silver hoops in her ears. Blossom had left her wild long raven locks alone, brushing her bangs in a way that they fell over one of her eyes. Her makeup was light, as she was naturally striking. Her catlike eyes were enhanced with simple eyeliner, and nude lipgloss completed the look. Blossom and Bubbles nodded in approval, while Buttercup huffed, turning her head to the mirror to inspect herself. "I really don't think this is necessary. I told you guys I don't care _what_ he does. It's got nothing to do with me." Bubbles rolled her eyes, pushing her out of the room.

"This is to show him what he's missing. Simple as that. Plus don't you think it's time to show more interest in your appearance? You're a beauty who looks great in anything with an awesome figure to boot, yet you dress so sloppy it's almost insulting." Buttercup blushed. Her sisters had been giving her compliments since they'd found out she was struggling with her self-image, unable to see her own positives when comparing herself to her sisters. They were all unique, with their own good points, and their own insecurities. She didn't need to listen to what others told her, but until she regained the self-confidence she once had, they would continue to give her heartfelt compliments. Blossom grabbed three breakfast sandwiches and popped them in the microwave, leaving the other two to grab their backpacks and shoes. Bubbles handed her eldest sister her things, while Buttercup swiped the sandwiches.

"I have a change of clothes in my backpack just in case. I still think this is ridiculous."

"Oh hush, don't be so pessimistic! You'll be the talk of the school."

* * *

Buttercup tried hard not to fidget. She wasn't used to having so many eyes on her. She and her sisters had walked in like they owned the place, with her sandwiched in the middle. People were looking at her in ways she wasn't used to, and she couldn't decide if she liked it or not. Now she sat alone in one of her classes, desperately trying to contain herself. Some random guy came up to her to ask if she was seeing anyone, to which she'd bluntly answered no. Now she was being hounded by guys who had nothing to do with her before, and she had no idea what was going on. She prayed for the bell, glaring at everyone. The boys never bothered her before, so why were they swarming her now? Surely it wasn't just because of an outfit change and some makeup?

* * *

"Did you do it?" Bubbles sat reclining with the rest of the cheerleaders during practice, taking a small water break before beginning the cool down they did before the end of the period. The beautiful ash blond beside her nodded, frowning at her manicured nails.

"I did. Now everyone knows your sister is up for grabs." Bubbles nodded, smirking.

"Good. I hadn't interfered when Butch put a silent claim on BC, but my sister deserves only the best, and someone who doesn't know or won't act on his own feelings isn't the best." The others nodded in agreement, not surprised that Bubbles had used her position to silently help her sister. She was sweet, but didn't take kindly to those that messed with her friends or family. It's why no one was dumb enough to cross her. When she was furious, even Buttercup was cautious. "If he does anything else, I want to know it. I won't be caught off guard again. _Is that understood?_ " The girls nodded, quickly gathering their trash and heading over to the mats, avoiding angering the beautiful blond any further.

* * *

"Blossom!" Said girl stopped, turning curious eyes in the direction her name was called, only to narrow on who was calling her. Butch jogged up to her, grabbing her wrist and continuing towards the back of the school by the field, as it was currently deserted. She allowed herself to be dragged, wanting an explanation for last night. The pair stopped once they reached their destination, Butch turning towards her.

"So? What did you wanna talk about last night?" Blossom shot him an unimpressed look, but answered nonetheless.

"What was that last night? I thought you were done leading girls on like that." Butch smirked, crowding her against the wall. He put one arm above her head, caging her in.

"Oh? I didn't realize _you_ had the hots for me Blossy." She rolled her eyes, shoving him away.

"I'm not interested in playing games Butch. Answer me." He grew serious, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I don't know what you mean. I'm just doing what I want to do." She smirked, the temperature around them decreasing drastically.

"Oh? So you'll have _no_ complaints when someone else swoops in and does what you're not man enough to do?" His face twisted into a scowl, before he relaxed, grinning victoriously.

"She's mine. I've made sure that _no one_ will be dumb enough to approach her." Blossom's resulting look was so cold Butch could've sworn he could _see_ the ice particles in the air.

"Too bad for you, but Bubbles made sure that that's no longer the case. You must not have seen her today either. She's been the center of attention since this morning. Looks like you waited too late, if you even know what you want at all. And from the way you've been acting, you obviously _don't._ " She didn't even look back as she turned away from him, smacking him with her long auburn locks. He watched her leave silently, waiting until he was alone to slam his fist into the wall. He frowned, not pleased _at all_ by this turn of events. BC was _his_ , he just wasn't sure he was ready to be hers.


	24. Chapter 24

Buttercup slammed her tray onto the table, slumping into her seat. She was exhausted, fending off sudden advances all morning. _Is this what Bubbles always talked about?! I thought she was kidding!_ Robin pointed her fry in her direction, gaining her attention.

"Who told you to show off? Every guy in school has been drooling over you since you walked through the door." She pouted playfully, but couldn't help a certain brunette flashing quickly through her mind's eye.

"Yeah BC. What's poor Robin going to do if Mitch suddenly gets the hots for you?"

"Not so loud!" Robin practically threw herself to the side to cover Ayumi's mouth. Ayumi held her hands up in surrender, an unapologetic look crossing her features. Buttercup waved off their antics, turning towards Robin.

"Everyone knows that boy has the hots for you. Both of you just keep dancing around your feelings for each other. I'm half tempted to lock you too up in a room together until you admit your feelings. Blossom, Bubbles, and Ayumi giggled while Robin's face burned red, rendering her speechless as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish. Buttercup tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, ignoring the many eyes still roaming her form.

* * *

Butch grabbed his fourth fork, seeing as he'd snapped the other three in half during the lunch period that to him seemed to drag on longer than usual. He'd caught sight of her as she entered the cafeteria, nearly falling out of his seat. She was breathtaking to say the least, but his shameless staring had been cut short when he noticed almost every other male eyeing her like a piece of meat. _Oh **hell no.**_ Boomer turned his attention to where his brother was looking, wanting to know what he was so preoccupied with. When he caught sight of Buttercup, he whistled appreciatively.

"Woah. If I didn't have Bubbles..." Butch snapped his neck around so fast his brothers were surprised he didn't get whiplash. He glared with such an intensity Boomer couldn't even find the courage to continue poking fun. Brick however, had no such problems. already bored with the conversation.

"It's your fault. You claimed her and then did nothing. What did you expect to happen?" Butch was practically foaming at the mouth in frustration, playing with his lip ring angrily.

"We went on a date!"

"You brought a girl home." The calm tone of his older brother brought him up short. He had no rebuttal to that. He'd sent her home before anything of consequence had happened, but it didn't change the fact that he'd still brought her home in the first place.

"..." Mitch offered his input, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.

"If you want her get her dude. I don't see what the big deal is." He cut his eyes to the brunette, narrowing in on him.

"Oh like you've done with Robin?" Mitch choked on his milk, coughing violently.

"That's! That's not the same!"

"Buttercup deserves better, but I won't hand her to anyone else." Boomer rolled his eyes, fed up with his brother's excuses.

"If she deserves better then just _do_ better. I'm tired of hearing you whine." Butch stuck his foot out, kicking the blond boy under the table.

"Shut up. I don't remember asking you Boom."

"Whatever."

* * *

Blossom hummed to herself, proud of her sister. She'd managed to restrain herself all day, switching to her back up outfit after lunch, but the damage was done. BC was on the market, and nothing would change that. Blossom grinned, stopping at her locker and shifting her books before expertly spinning the lock, deft fingers entering the combination. She shoved the books she didn't need inside, switching them with the ones she'd need for homework tonight. She'd just closed it when Brick popped up beside her, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"A little birdie told me Butch's claim on BC is null and void." Blossom smiled innocently, turning towards the front doors.

"Really? I wonder who could've done that." Brick hummed beside her, placing his hands behind his head.

"Yes I wonder. Butch isn't happy about it." Blossom snorted, eyeing the male beside her expectantly until he held the door open for her, but not without rolling his eyes at her.

"Who knows? But who cares? There are plenty of fish in the sea after all."

"True. What're you doing tonight?" Blossom took a moment to 'think' while scenarios flew rapidly through her mind. Sometimes thinking too much was a curse.

"Just homework. What's up?" He grinned, waving two tickets in her face.

"Wanna check out the new amusement park?" _Heck yeah I do!_

"Sure." His grinned widened, practically blinding her. He walked backwards away from her, only turning around when he hit the sidewalk. He waved, disappearing from sight soon after. Blossom readjusted her books, beginning to walk down the stairs when a body slammed into her, almost knocking her over if she wasn't blessed with flight. Her books however, still crashed to the floor, scattering all over the ground. She floated to the ground, the reprimand on her lips dying as familiar low pigtails came into view.

"I see you and Brick are getting along exceptionally well." Blossom blushed, shoving her youngest sister off her gently and bending to gather her things. Bubbles stooped down to help, grinning wide. "Now we just need a date for Buttercup and soon we'll be able to go on double and triple dates! Ooh ooh! And then we can share stories and compare-"

"Okay! I think that's enough of that." Bubbles pouted but let it go for now. Buttercup came stomping down the stairs, her long raven locks flying in the wind. Slips of paper were grasped in her right hand, though she looked flustered and on the verge of exploding. Her sisters perked up in interest at the slips, but didn't have to wait long as Ayumi appeared out of nowhere and snatched them, dancing out of the green eye'd girl's reach.

"Bloss! Bubs! Look how popular BC is!" She presented the slips as if they were a hard won prize, ignoring Buttercup's demands to give them back or throw them away. Blossom whistled as they were revealed to be numbers.

"Wow BC, it's only been a _day._ " Bubbles pouted, handing them back to her sister when she was done looking at them.

"That's more than I got! Not fair." The others laughed her off, but sobered when Buttercup didn't join in.

"What? It's not a big deal-" Buttercup incinerated them without a word, glaring at them.

"Maybe not for you." She took off without another word, her mind churning with too many feelings and thoughts to coherently put into words. The others shared a look, not sure if they should do something or leave the girl be.

"At least Mitch's number isn't in here."

"Really Ayumi?"

"What? I'm just saying..."


	25. Chapter 25

Buttercup quickly rose through the ranks of the most sought after girl in school over the next few weeks, angering Princess and her cronies, but unsurprising to anyone else. While many admired her, only a few were bold enough to actually ask her out. Buttercup had accepted a few, not wanting to hurt their feelings. It went never went past a handful of dates, as she quickly grew bored with them. Some of them were interested in her looks and some of her interests, like wrestling, cage fighting, and video games, while others were interested in her personality but had projected their fantasies onto her, so they weren't interested in what she had to say or how she felt. She had just about given up on the whole dating thing when she was approached by Damien, a handsome stranger who suspiciously favored Butch. He was smart, charming, and actually interested in _her,_ not just his misguided idea of her. His midnight blue hair was cut in a buzz cut. He stood tall, around six foot three, with piercings in his left ear. He was impressively ripped, and surprised her every day with a mouth watering lunch box. They weren't exactly dating, but had gone on several dates. Buttercup hadn't completely changed her style, but had traded in baggy sweatpants and hoodies for tight fitting jeans or shorts and loose dance tops. It was an improvement, and everyone noticed. Speculation on the nature of the two's relationship spread like wildfire, which the two dd nothing to dispute.

Butch was finally ready, having finally finished purging his cell phone and letting his girls know that his heart belonged to another, and he was serious this time. Seems it had taken constantly seeing her with someone else to give him the wake up call he needed. However, despite what everyone else thought he wasn't an ass. If she was truly happy he wouldn't interfere, taking his loss like the man he desperately wanted Buttercup to see him as. Just as he was thinking this, he caught her eye as they were all walking down the hall. They stared at each other for longer than necessary, before Damien said something to reclaim her attention, making her laugh in a way she'd never done around him. Butch brushed it off, having his answer. He wouldn't interfere.

* * *

Buttercup sat wedged between Blossom and Robin on the Puff's couch, thankful for the girls night in. She'd missed them, as the girls had spent less and less time with each other as school and their boyfriends got in the way. Bubbles and Boomer had started dating shortly after their date at the museum, figuring they'd waited long enough and using the wonderful time they'd had spending time with each other as the only confirmation they needed. Brick and Blossom had been slower, only recently beginning to date after their fourth date last weekend. Robin had rescheduled a date with Mitch to join them tonight, citing the fact that they technically weren't dating as her excuse for pushing it off. Mitch had grumbled about it but understood, making her promise to spend Sunday with him to make up for her ditching him tonight. She'd laughingly agreed, glowing so brightly with happiness it was obviously only a matter of time before the two became official. Ayumi had even found a man - stumbling into him at the mall downtown when she'd been shopping. He went to their school, but their paths had never crossed before that moment. It had been love at first impact, with the two turning their impromptu meeting into a date, becoming official two weeks later.

Buttercup sighed, unable to express herself. Damien was sweet, but almost _too_ sweet. Whenever they argued, it wouldn't be long before he folded, giving her the victory. It was almost _too_ easy sometimes, and Buttercup found herself craving more of a challenge. Lately he wasn't as interested in watching the movies she liked either. Usually they switched on picking a movie so as to keep it fair, but he would guilt trip her or bring up some excuse as to why they should watch what he wanted. It was little things, but lately they were beginning to wear on her nerves. Her friends still believed she was happy with him, and they all seemed to like him. Buttercup felt trapped, and guilty that she was beginning to feel unhappy in a relatively nice relationship. It's not that she didn't want nice per say, just that she didn't want to be _bored_. She also didn't appreciate having the tables turned on her to make her feel she was being selfish. He was also her first boyfriend, so she wasn't sure if things like this were normal. _But when the others talk about their dates, it doesn't seem to go like mine..._ Maybe she was doing something wrong? _But why should we almost always have to do what he wants? It was nice in the beginning but now..._ She sighed again, causing the girls to pause the movie and turn to her as one in concern.

"Buttercup? Is something wrong?" Buttercup snapped out of her thoughts, blinking a few times to center herself.

"Huh? Not really..." She wanted to ask, but her pride was getting in the way again, so she knew she wouldn't voice what was bothering her. Thankfully her friends knew her well enough to pick up on this, but knew now wasn't the time to push her.

"Alright." Buttercup sighed in relief, turning her attention back to the movie. She needed more time to think about this. _I'm probably making a bigger deal out of this than it actually is._


	26. Chapter 26

**I was a bit stuck on how I wanted to proceed, but I'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out. I made it longer since I've made you guys wait so long, so enjoy!**

* * *

Boomer whistled as he made his way downtown, walking fast. He promised Bubbles he'd pick up her sour gummy worms so she could have something to snack on when they started American Horror Story tonight. He'd just come out of the store when he noticed Damien across the street, heading to one of the cafes. He was about to call out to him when he entered the Rose cafe, taking a seat near one of the windows. He was facing the left wall, so Boomer could see him checking his phone, indicating he was waiting on someone.

"Oh Bubbles is gonna _love_ this." His girlfriend had recently been complaining about BC's lack of pictures from any of her dates, which surprised no one but disappointed her sisters. So why not get brownie points for getting the highly anticipated shot of Buttercup out on a date with her recently official boo? He crept closer, taking a seat at an outdoor cafe, which sat in clear view of his target. He took out his phone, opening snap, ready to send the photographic evidence of his feat. However, he was suddenly very confused when _Princess_ showed up instead of Buttercup, taking the seat across from Damien. Boomer didn't want to assume anything yet, knowing Princess's bad habit of making advances on whoever she wanted, regardless of whether or not they were taken. The two talked, and although he couldn't make out what was said, Princess pulled out her wallet and handed Damien a twenty dollar bill, which he took with a smirk of thanks. Boomer snapped multiple pictures, not understanding at all what was going on, but he'd find out. Princess left without ordering, as did Damien shortly after. He made his way in the opposite direction Boomer needed to go, but he brushed that aside as he followed him.

Damien walked leisurely, his business down for the day. He just had to make a quick call, then maybe he'd entertain himself with Buttercup for the rest of the day. She was surprisingly adorable when she wanted to be, and although he had nothing personally against her, he just wasn't interested in her. She was hot, and had boosted his reputation when the rumors began about the two. His business with her was just about done, but there was no reason he couldn't play for a bit longer. He dug his phone out of his pocket, dialing a number and putting it to his ear, unaware of the presence following behind him.

"Hey, Danny. Yeah I got it. Did you doubt me? I can make any woman mine, Buttercup was no exception." He paused, listening to the voice on the other end. "She's hot, but not my type. I said I got it, I won the bet after all." Boomer crept closer, not believing his ears. What bet was he talking about? "Princess said it was enough, but I'm not done playing just -" His jaw compressed as his body spun from the hit he hadn't known he'd taken. His phone dropped to the ground, cracking on impact as he fell a few yards away. He winced, holding his now broken jaw as he looked around with narrowed eyes. They widened when Boomer stepped out of the shadows, looking beyond pissed.

"Would you like to explain what _bet_ you were talking about just now?" Damien rose on shaking legs, contemplating his words carefully. If he messed this up, he'd have the Utoniums, Jojos, and most of the school out to get him. Buttercup was blunt, but she was liked by most of the students. He had to get Boomer off his case.

"It's nothing. Just something between me and Princess." Boomer, who had been advancing on the poor boy, grabbing his collar, yanking him forward.

"Don't play with me. _What were you talking about?_ " Damien coughed, not liking his odds at this point. Should he confess? Boomer seemed to think so, because his free hand began to crackle with electricity. "Don't make me ask again."

"Princess bet I couldn't win over Buttercup and keep her longer than the others. I did, so she paid up. It's not anything serious-" Boomer slugged him in the mouth, dropping him shortly afterward.

"You better be glad it was me instead of one of the others. Otherwise you wouldn't be breathing right now." He turned away, agitated and still itching for a fight. But if he fought Damien now, he wouldn't be able to hold back. He dialed Butch's number, inwardly sighing. _For now I'll keep my mouth shut. I still don't know how BC feels, but Bubbles thinks it's getting serious..._ Butch answered after the third ring.

"What?"

"Where are you?"

"The gym. Why?"

"I'll meet you in twenty." He hung up, ignoring his brother in favor of dialing his girlfriend.

"Hey Boomie! Where are you? I'm tempted to start without you."

"You might have to." Bubbles paused on the other side of the line, suddenly growing serious.

"What happened? You sound agitated." Boomer grinned, nothing got past his girl.

"I just ran into someone. It's no big deal, but I can't make our binge session tonight." Bubbles sighed and there was shuffling on the phone, no doubt she was moving to take up the whole couch since he wasn't coming over.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then. Love you."

"Love you too Bubs." He hung up, looking one last time at the heap on the ground, taking off before he changed his mind and gave him what he deserved.

* * *

"What's with you?" Butch had let it go at first, eager to have an equal opponent in the ring. Boomer had been angry but focused, channeling his emotions into every punch. Butch's surprise had been turned into pride when he realized he'd improved on the techniques Boomer had learned from him. After six rounds the boys had decided to take a break, but Boomer didn't seem satisfied in the least. He wouldn't look at him either, a telltale sign that something was seriously bothering him.

"It's nothing. Just some things on my mind."

"What? You're _thinking_?! Maybe I should call Brick, you might be sick-"

"Butch." All joking stopped at the serious tone of voice he was leveled with. He turned to Boomer, tossing his water bottle effortlessly into the trash can. _Maybe I should join the basketball team this year..._

"What?"

"You like Buttercup don't you?" He tensed, not sure where this was going. What did _that_ have to do with anything.

"That doesn't matter. She's taken."

"That's never stopped you before." Butch suddenly stood, tired of this conversation. If they weren't going to continue boxing, he was leaving. Boomer took off his gloves, still angry as Butch walked away, starting a round of workouts with one of the punching bags hanging up. Boomer leaned against the railing, worn out but still bothered by Damien. _Maybe I should tell Bubbles after all? Ugh, whatever, I'll just talk to Buttercup tomorrow. She's the only one I owe an explanation to since this is her problem._

* * *

Tomorrow came sooner than anyone would have liked. The sun rose leisurely, unbothered that its rays streamed into homes and rudely awoke those who tried to get that extra minute of sleep before the alarm rang. But time waits for no man, and sooner than necessary alarm clocks rang and the day started in a flurry of activity. The girls completed their normal routines, with Blossom donning a black and red plaid skirt overall paired with a plain black crop top and a solid grey beanie. For shoes she went with simple booties, finishing first. The second down was Bubbles, who wore a blue, white and black plaid t-shirt dress and thigh high boots. Buttercup, who'd overslept as usual, crashed down the stairs in dark wash skinny jeans that disappeared into black ankle length combat boots, and a green and black plaid long sleeve crop top that teased her midriff when she raised her arms. Blossom handed each girl her backpack and lunch as they walked out the door, stopping in surprise when they spotted Damien waiting on the sidewalk outside. Bubbles and Blossom smiled wide while Buttercup kept her face neutral. She didn't call for him, nor cared to see him while she was still so conflicted over what she wanted to do. And him showing up announced and interrupting her peaceful walk to school was another point against him.

"What're you doing here?" Damien grinned, presenting her with fresh blueberry muffins. Buttercup's mouth watered at the smell alone, and she took back her previous thoughts.

"You mentioned once that it would be nice to eat blueberry muffins in the morning right?" She looked at him wide eyed, completely taken aback. _He remembered something so random?_ She took the offered muffins, falling into step with him as he filled the silence. She couldn't help but enjoy it, even if a small part of her still craved another's company.

* * *

"And it was _so_ sweet! He walked her to school and brought her favorite food!" Bubbles hadn't stopped gushing since that morning, swooning every time she retold the short tale. Blossom only encouraged her, offering her own opinions on the matter. Buttercup didn't say a word, only confirming that it indeed happened. Her sisters' antics were interrupted when Boomer approached their table, nodding at everyone but keeping his gaze locked on the raven haired beauty.

"I need to talk to you." Buttercup nodded, following him out of the cafeteria. They made their way to the football field, ducking into the space between the bleachers and the wall.

"So, what's up? You've already picked a gift for Bubbles's birthday I'm sure." He grinned, nodding his head.

"Of course. I came to talk to you about Damien." Buttercup sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"What about him?" Boomer launched into his tale, keeping it short and to the point without leaving out crucial details. Buttercup nodded along, now understanding why her boyfriend had looked so beat up and weary. There had been bruising on his jaw, with the rest of his body covered in loose clothing, so she hadn't thought much of it. But after hearing this... "Thank you for letting me know. I'll handle it from here." Boomer nodded, leaving it at that. Buttercup leaned against the wall, letting out a world weary sigh. _The first guy who makes a true effort, and it was all for a bet. I give up._ She pushed off the wall, changing her direction to the courtyard where he usually ate lunch.

It didn't take her long to get there, and she spotted him easily. He was surrounded by his friends, regaling them with a tale he more than likely made up. She wasted no time, walking calmly towards him. He grinned when he saw her, excusing himself from his friends with the intention to meet her halfway. He had barely pushed off the table when she stopped in front of him, staring at him impassively.

"Hey babe. What's up?"

"We're done." She turned on her heel, each step taking her further away from him. He let her leave, knowing he had no right to get her to stay, and not wanting to cause a scene in front of everyone. He sighed, aggravated, as he made his way back to his friends.

"What was that about?"

"Buttercup wanted to break up." It seemed as if someone had hit pause during the time it took his friends to process his words. But when they did, the rest of the world became quiet in the wake of their outbursts.

"WHAT?!"

The news spread like wildfire, and by the end of the day, everyone knew the unlikely couple had gone their separate ways. No one dared to approach Buttercup about it, and Damien had been quiet about it since its reveal, simply saying it was a mutual separation. Buttercup hadn't talked to anyone since lunch, finishing her work quietly and refusing to look at anyone. Butch, who happened to be in her last class, had been trying to get a reaction out of her since class started, but hadn't had any luck. Silent Buttercup was never good, and Bubbles and Blossom had been on the war path, searching for Damien and threatening _anyone_ who messed with their sister. He sighed, bored out of his mind. Buttercup was his only entertainment in this class, but since she was ignoring everyone, he resolved to nap after finishing his work.

Buttercup meanwhile was lost in her own thoughts, mindlessly twirling her pencil through her fingers. The idea of breaking up with Damien had crossed her mind, especially lately, but she hadn't wanted it to be because she found out he was only with her for a bet. They'd had their problems, but he had grown on her, and made an effort like no one else had. It may have been fake, but it had been real for her. Even her worries about him seeming to lose interest in balancing out sharing their interests just showed she was taking their relationship seriously, just as he seemingly was. Buttercup had never had a boyfriend, and the way Damien had treated her, despite his flaws, overall had been wonderful. He realized she was a girl, but hadn't treated her like a porcelain doll. And now to realize he hadn't meant any of it...she didn't know what to do or how to feel. She didn't feel satisfied or relieved or angry or anything else she was supposed to feel. She just felt...empty.


	27. Chapter 27

Buttercup became increasingly withdrawn as the days passed, still participating in basketball, but talking less and less. She seldom came out of her room when she got home, only emerging for dinner. Blossom was frustrated while Bubbles was angry. She wanted to rip Damien a new one, since it was obviously his fault, but she didn't know what had happened, so she couldn't. Boomer hadn't said anything either, neither confirming nor denying it had been Damien he had run into the night he canceled on her.

Blossom sighed, patting Bubbles's back as she cleared the table. They were supposed to be going over to the boys' tonight, but she wasn't sure she should leave Buttercup alone like this.

"Blossom..." Hearing the same hesitation in her baby sister's voice set her on edge. She sighed, washing the dishes.

"Run upstairs and ask her again. If she wants to be alone then she can be, but we should try one last time." Bubbles nodded, scurrying up the stairs and knocking on her sister's door. After a few beats of silence it opened, revealing Buttercup wrapped completely in her comforter. Bubbles smiled nervously in the face of Buttercup's infamous stare, her throat suddenly feeling much too dry.

"Um, we're about to head over to the boys' now. So if you want to come-"

"No." The door was slammed shut in her face, effectively ending the conversation. Bubbles blinked, her hand still raised from where she'd knocked. She was left utterly speechless, completely taken off guard. It wasn't the fact that Buttercup had been rude to her - she was always like that. Nor was it that she'd been covered head to toe in her comforter. It was the fact her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were puffy. Her hair was disheveled and she was missing a sock on her left foot, which had come into view when she shifted. Buttercup may not be the most fashion forward, but she was always confident and put together, even when she'd been played by _Him_ there had been some modicum of confidence. But the state she was in now was unnerving. She turned on her heel, flying down to Blossom who'd moved to the couch.

"BLOSSOMMMMMMM!" Blossom shot up at once, vaulting over the couch and catching the unnerved blur that was Bubbles. Without a word she flew upstairs, busting down the lime green door.

"Buttercup?!" Buttercup yanked her earphones out, one hand still raised and ready to shove a swiss roll into her mouth. She was perched in her beanbag chair, her laptop balanced precariously in her lap.

"What? Weren't you two supposed to be gone by now?" Blossom surveyed the room, taking in the exposed lime green sheets, cherry wood dresser and nightstand to the left, and her black, green, and white bean bag chairs occupying the center of the room. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, at least until Blossom analysed the girl herself. One fuzzy sock covered foot poked out from the covers. Her cheeks were flushed and splotchy, and her eyes were weary and red rimmed. Her shoulders were hunched over, as if she was trying to sink into the bean bag so deep she'd never emerge again. Blossom couldn't tell what she was watching, but had no doubt it was a horror movie. Buttercup liked them when she was upset, able to scream at the screen as long as she liked. Blossom sighed, walking further into the room. Buttercup closed the laptop, turning her head away as if that would successfully dissuade her.

"Buttercup-"

"Leave it Blossom." Blossom sighed, trying to push down her anger. She was only trying to help, and staying cooped in here wasn't doing anyone any good.

"I won't. What happened?"

"None of your business. Now run along." _Run along? Okay that's it!_ Blossom crossed her arms, leveling her sister with an uncompromising glare. Buttercup didn't have to look to feel its effects, unconsciously flinching as the temperature in the room steadily decreased.

" _Now you listen here._ We're only asking because we're worried about you! This isn't like you, and it's creepy. If he did something to you, go beat him up. Or go to the gym and practice your shot. Do _something_ other than sitting here wallowing in self pity over a boy that's not even worth it!" Buttercup stood in a flash, cutting her hand through the air.

"How do _you_ know if he's worth it or not?! You don't even _know anything_ , yet you come in here acting all high and mighty again-"

"Then _tell_ me what happened!"

"I don't _need_ to because it's none of your business!"

"When you act like this it _turns_ into my business! And I know he wasn't worth it because he hurt you! And you deserve better!" Buttercup snorted, done with the conversation.

"Yeah I do." _But I really want isn't better for me..._ Blossom paused in her tirade, momentarily thrown off.

"Y-yes, that's right. As long as you understand. Now get dressed, we're getting out of the house." Buttercup pushed her sister through the broken door, grimacing at the damage.

"I trust you'll fix this?" At Blossom's nod, Buttercup pushed her all the way out of the room, turning to grab her stuff. "Since I can no longer get any privacy here I'll go somewhere else. Now leave me _alone_." Blossom stood rooted to the spot as her younger sister passed her, no doubt to retreat to the living room. Bubbles appeared behind her, seemingly popping out of nowhere.

"I think we should just go. She'll open up when she's ready. You know that."

"Yeah but... fine. Let's go." The girls took off, leaving the moody teen in peace. Buttercup sighed in relief, turning on the TV and finding a zombie movie. She shuffled into the kitchen to find some snacks, knowing she'd be there for awhile.

* * *

"Hey babe. Buttercup didn't come?" Bubbles kissed Boomer on the cheek in greeting, while Blossom made a beeline for the seat beside Brick.

"No. She decided to stay at home." Boomer and Brick turned to look at Butch, who was in the kitchen getting some water. He gave his brothers the finger, heading back downstairs to their gym. He wasn't interested in being a fifth wheel, and although he had no problem with the blond and red head, he knew they'd be too absorbed in his brothers to give any reactions to his teases.

Blossom curled up into Brick's side, nuzzling his chest. He wasn't overly affectionate, but let her do what she wanted when they were home. He showed her off, but it never went beyond a forehead kiss or an arm around her shoulder in public. Blossom was working on that though. Bubbles and Boomer took the couch diagonal to the screen, curling around each other as if they'd been doing it for their whole lives. The two were the epitome of adorable, though they toned it down after Buttercup and Blossom had joked the two were so cute they could choke. Boomer was the most comfortable with public displays of affection out of the three brothers, often surprisingly his girlfriend with blush inducing kisses throughout the day. When someone had complained, Boomer had only smirked, citing the fact that they were told to be 'less adorable.' Girls had swooned, cementing his image of the handsome, unattainable prince with a wild side shown only to his beloved. Bubbles hadn't minded, but had asked Boomer to tone it down a bit when she'd get too overwhelmed. Boomer may not have been as naive as people were led to believe, but in that area, Bubbles certainly was.

Blossom raised her head, pushing off of Brick's chest to get a view of his face. She allowed herself a moment to admire him, and his killer body, but she was brought back to the task at hand.

"Are you going to ask me something, or are you just gonna feel me up until we start the movie?" Blossom blushed, smacking his chest at his smirk. _Stupid abs, distracting me again._

"Buttercup is single now, so why hasn't Butch made his move yet? I thought for sure he would." Bubbles nodded, playing in Boomer's hair while he laid in her lap.

"Right? What's stopping him now?" Brick grunted, rolling his ruby red eyes.

"What do you think? Pride."

"But he's the one who messed it up in the first place! So he needs to be the one to make the first move and declare his undying love for her!" Boomer grabbed Bubble's hand, putting it back on top of his head. Bubbles got the hint, running her fingers through it again.

"You're talking about the two most stubborn people on the planet here. Besides, there's no guarantee Buttercup and Butch still even have feelings for each other." Blossom shrunk in her seat as the other three leveled her with a deadpan look. She held her hands up in surrender, quickly retracting her statement. Bubbles sighed, her match making skills begging to take up the challenge.

"So what do we do?" Brick waved his hand dismissively.

"Put them in a situation where they have to talk to each other, or at least be around the other." Everyone stopped, looking at Brick in awe as the same thought ran through the Utonium's heads.

"Brick you're a genius!"

"I know what we have to do!" Blossom peppered kisses on her boyfriends face, going back to her original position as Bubbles finally hit play on the movie. Brick wasn't sure what exactly he said, and he didn't much care either. Blossom had called him a genius, and he'd never let her forget it, even as his chest puffed in pride. Boomer had fallen asleep, completely oblivious to the revelation or the movie he'd helped pick out.


	28. Chapter 28

**This chapter is longer than I expected, so don't get used to this length lol. I can't always pull out something so impressive. I also apologize if it seems the other couples are more background characters, but my favorite pairing is the greens, so they'll be the main focus of this story. I probably should've said this in the beginning, but oh well. Better late than never. Now without further ado, on with the story! And Happy Thanksgiving!**

* * *

Buttercup was restless. Her sisters had insisted they have another heart to heart about her breakup, putting her on edge. Then they suggested they watch action movies to make her feel better. _Then_ they dragged her to a gym, where she'd been asked to show off her moves. She had never been much of a boxer, preferring to watch it rather than participate, but it turned out to be surprisingly fun. Her adrenaline flowed through her veins, sweat trickling down her face and tickling her senses as she focused on match after match. She was no expert, but she wasn't bad either. She had a natural flow about her, able to understand her body and read her opponent's movements in a way that helped offset her sloppy form. However, it wasn't enough to quench her thirst for battle. Her sisters had refused to box with her, not interested in the least. She'd tried to rile them up, but her efforts ended in failure every time.

Her next plan of attack had been focused on Brick and Boomer. Boomer had declined, not interested in fighting unless he had to, and Brick had only gone along with it for two rounds before growing bored and telling her to find someone else. She was pretty sure he was only showing off for Blossom, who'd practically had a nosebleed watching his fluid motions. Unsurprisingly, Brick was an amazing fighter, but since he had no interest in it unless it got him something he wanted, or he was bored, he hardly ever did so. As the weeks went by, Buttercup realized _who_ her only viable option was to cure the itch beneath her skin. Her sparring session with Brick had only increased her hunger for more.

"Why haven't you asked Butch yet?" Buttercup groaned, throwing her hands in the air.

"He obviously isn't interested in bothering with me, so why should I bother with him?" Bubbles's eye twitched, but she took a deep breath, focusing on the plan. Ayumi sighed loudly, fed up with the run around attitude the two were showing each other.

"You don't _have_ to ask. You're frustrated with him right?" Buttercup nodded slowly, not sure where this was going.

"Yeah..."

"Then _do_ something about it. If it helps the guy used to be evil, and some girls would argue he still is. If you're looking for a fight, then go _make_ one. You've never had a problem with baiting him before from the stories you guys have told me." Buttercup blinked, completely floored. Why hadn't she thought of that? She went all around the world when she could've started where she wanted to in the first place.

"You're so right Ayumi." She walked out the front door without a second glance, taking off for the Jojo residence. Ayumi turned to Blossom and Bubbles, a triumphant smirk on her lips.

"And _that's_ how you get things done."

Buttercup touched down at the front door, not bothering to knock before bursting through the door. She did a quick sweep, determining her prey was not here. _If he's not out here then he's probably..._ She walked towards the left corner of the room, revealing a single door. She opened it, walking calmly down the flight of dimly lit stairs even as her body shook with anticipation. It shouldn't be hard to get Butch riled up enough to fight, but they might want to take it outside if things got _too_ heated. She stopped at the foot of the stairs, coming around a corner to the open concept of the basement. Butch stood in the middle, ruthlessly laying into a punching bag chained to the ceiling. His movements were fluid and precise, his muscles flexing and shifting under his black muscle tee. He wasn't panting yet, so he must've just started. _Good. It would've been boring if he was already worn out._ She leaned against one of the couches, letting her eyes devour him as she searched for any injuries that would hinder her fun. Butch continued his work out silently, seemingly not noticing her yet, though she knew he'd picked up on her presence when she'd entered the room. The stairs weren't quiet after all.

"What do you want Boom-" He turned his head to look at her, annoyance written all over his face. It morphed into surprise when he saw it was her and not his blond haired brother. He straightened immediately, abandoning his work out. He turned away from her, schooling his expression as he slowly unwound the wrapping on his hands. "What're you doing here?" His tone was even, not an ounce of teasing to be found. Buttercup wouldn't dare wonder why that sent a throb of pain through her heart.

"Fight me." He snorted, taking a swig from the water bottle he'd set out earlier, his back still facing her. _Why aren't you looking at me?_

"Pass. Find someone else." _Like I could control myself if I touched you now._

"No. Or are you afraid you'll lose again?" He turned toward her, his gaze narrowed. He knew she was baiting him, but it didn't change the fact she was attacking his pride.

"I never lose."

"Really? Our fights say otherwise."

"We were kids."

"Oh, so you're conveniently forgetting about when you guys first came back to town too?"

"We let you win."

"Did you now? How kind of you."

"Yes well one of us has to have manners." Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Excuse me? I have manners!"

"Could've fooled me." She launched herself at him. It wasn't the usual point they'd attack each other, but she was ready to burst with the need to work out her frustrations, so she decided that was far enough. Butch caught her mid air and threw her into the wall, using her momentum against her. Buttercup wasn't fazed, pushing off the wall and knocking the debris off her. Butch grinned as his blood began to sing. "Missed me that much Butterbutt?" Buttercup grinned, fazing behind him and kicking him in the back.

"You wish." Butch smirked, his muscles coiling in preparation to strike. However, they were interrupted when someone cleared their throat. The greens turned as one to the unwanted intruder, matching glares on their faces. Brick stood there, easily brushing off the killing intent aimed at him.

"Take it outside." As one the two flew up the stairs and through the front door. Brick surveyed the damage in their absence, sighing in relief when it was just the human sized hole in the wall. _Thank god I got here in time. I wasn't about to pay for repairs again. Idiots._

Buttercup flew until she reached a clearing, deeming this far enough from the city. Butch floated behind her, his arms crossed as he waited.

"What is this about?" Buttercup turned to face him, cracking her knuckles.

"Does it matter?" _Yes._

"No." She flew higher than him, raining a volley of energy blasts down on him. Butch dodged most of them, but was unable to avoid all of them. While he was distracted, Buttercup flew around behind him, aiming a spinning kick at his head. He spun at the last minute, catching her ankle and flinging her away from him. She stabilized herself in the air, flying forward. He met her halfway, exchanging blows and lowering to the ground. He had the advantage in hand to hand combat, but she used her size to knock him down, ramming her head into his chin. He cursed, punching her in the jaw and speeding up her decent. Before she could recover, he was there, pinning her in the crater she created. Buttercup bucked her hips, trying to get him off of her. She groaned in frustration, shooting daggers at him. But Butch looked dead serious, a frown marring his features.

"Is this about _Damien_?" He said his name as if it were a plague, showing his distaste for the boy. Buttercup sneered, turning her head away stubbornly.

"I just wanted to fight, that's all." Butch slammed his fist in the ground, temporarily distracted.

"Bullshit! You can lie to _everyone else,_ but you can't lie to me!" Buttercup took advantage of his distraction, throwing him off of her. He skidded along the ground, standing shortly after, but catching a face full of her fist. He was pushed back several yards, but Buttercup fazed behind him, stopping his movement and tossing him into the air. She flew up, barely giving him time to breathe as she shot him in the chest with her laser vision, knocking him back into her crater and making it wider. Butch grunted from the impact, turning his head to spit the blood from his mouth. Buttercup panted in the air, her fists balling in anger.

"Stop acting like you know me!" Butch rose, speeding through the air and sucker punching her in the gut. Buttercup gasped as she doubled over, unable to dodge the knee aimed at her face. Her head flew back, but Butch grabbed her hair, yanking her into him.

"I know you better than I know myself. And if you won't answer me..." He tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck. She grunted in pain as he placed a single kiss where her shoulder and neck met, shuddering in pleasure as he restrained himself from going further. Taking advantage of Buttercup's surprise, he let go of her hair and grabbed her arm, pinning it behind her. "I'll just have to make you." Buttercup dislocated her shoulder, slipping out of his hold. She kicked him in the jaw, descending back to the ground to give herself some space. Butch followed as soon as he recovered, landing a few feet in front of her. Their fights didn't usually have so much talking or pauses, but it had been so _long_ since he'd had her all to himself like this. If this was the only way he'd get what he wanted, then so be it. He'd heard the news of her breakup, but she had still avoided him like the plague. In turn, he had left her alone, acting as if she wasn't all he wanted. He had waited too late to realize how much he wanted her, and he could live with that. But now here she was in front of him, looking as beautiful as ever. She was flushed and panting, her hair wild in the wind and her clothes torn. But she wasn't fighting right now just for the sake of it. She was fighting because she was agitated and frustrated, and needed an outlet for it. He couldn't even _enjoy_ their first fight in ages because she wasn't focused on _him,_ but on her _problems!_ _That won't do._

"Then make me." Buttercup flipped out of the way as Butch aimed a flying stomp her way, his foot crashing into the earth first. He followed after her, landing a hit to her side as she twisted out of the way, but took a hit to the leg in return. He tried to grab her, but Buttercup punched him in the stomach, repaying him for earlier. The only way he was going to get her to submit to him was if he managed to pin her again. He spotted an opening when she lifted her leg to slam him into the ground, dodging low to grab her standing leg and knocking her off balance. Buttercup cried out as the two went down, landing painfully on her side. Butch landed on top of her, pinning her arms above her head and locking her legs in his own. Both fought to catch their breath, but still Buttercup glared at him. He shuddered again as she gave him that defiant look. _That_ was why she was the only one for him. She was the definition of a challenge, unwilling to claim her defeat even as it stared her in the face.

"Now." He squeezed her wrists in emphasis, his voice back to its no nonsense tone. "What's bothering you." Buttercup scoffed, not willing to admit the true reason she'd been so agitated.

"Your fat ass is crushing me." He grinned, pleased with her answer. If she was going to make him work for it, he'd be happy to oblige. He leaned down, only breaking eye contact when he could no longer keep it, turning his full attention to her neck. He knew it was one of her weak spots from previous battles, leaving open mouthed kisses until he reached her shoulder. Buttercup jolted at the contact, heat flooding her being. _He's too close!_ She couldn't deal with this now. Every time he did this during a fight he'd treat it like a game. She was _done_ being played with.

"Butch stop." It was breathy, but the seriousness of the command was the only thing that broke through the growing fogginess of his brain. He pulled back obediently but stayed where he was, his breath continuing to caress her neck. Buttercup shivered, desperately focusing on the task at hand - get some space.

"Why?" His voice had lowered, betraying how much his actions had affected him.

"I don't want this." He pulled back immediately, needing to look at her face. _Don't say that._ Buttercup was dead serious, but her eyes swam in conflict, but over what he didn't know. All he knew was it was getting harder to breath.

"Then answer me."

"Why should I? It's none of your business!"

" _You_ came in and picked a fight with _me_ , so it is my business!" Her eyes spit fire, but so did his.

"You've never complained about a fight before!"

"That's because you were focused on _me_. But this? You've only used your powers _once_ , and you're so distracted you didn't even notice you had multiple openings!" She paused, trying to remember if he was right. What shocked her was she didn't even _know._ She knew she was agitated, but to be so caught up in getting out her frustrations that she can't even remember the fight...She roared, pushing into the ground to get leverage as she turned them. She freed her hands in the process, pushing his shoulders into the ground. She expected him to make a joke, but he only continued to stare at her with that _serious gaze_ instead of the look he usually gave her during their fights. Buttercup screamed as she hit him, her tears flowing as the dam broke because she was so _tired of it all_ and _nothing_ was as it should be and no one understood because she hadn't talked about it but she _needed_ to. Butch took the abuse, silently watching her as she wore herself out. She continued to beat his chest, but the hits were less effective, heavy with exhaustion instead of power. She finally stopped, her fists clenched on his chest.

"A game. The whole thing was a _game_ but I took it seriously like a fool." She laughed bitterly, but he stayed silent, not understanding what she was talking about. "I was only worth getting close to for a _bet_ , can you believe that?" Butch felt anger flare in him. _Is that why they broke up?_ Damien would be lucky if he made it out alive when he saw him again.

"That's not what your worth." She snorted, looking at him with such fire in her eyes he was breathless.

"Apparently it is." He grabbed her fists, leveling her with such an intense look she couldn't keep his gaze.

"It's not. Anyone who can't see that is blind." She whipped her head around to face him again, so much anger flowing through her her body shook with the effort to contain it.

"Then why couldn't you?!" She ripped her hands away from him, not affected by the tears that had begun to fall from her beautiful eyes again. Butch gaped at her, but smoothed his features until no trace of emotion was left save for one - regret.

"When I did, it was too late." She got off of him as if he'd burned her. She shook her head, pointing a finger at him.

"NO! You don't get to do that!" He stood, ignoring the blood as it dripped from his broken nose. She moved back for each step he took forward, until both stopped moving.

"Buttercup-"

"No! _You're_ the one who messed it up before it even began Butch!" He loved the way his name sounded falling from her lips, but not like this. She was looking at him the way he never wanted her to.

"I sent her _home_ -"

"But you still brought her! How _dare_ you ask me for a date and then do something like that!"

"Why are you making such a big deal out of it?! We weren't together!"

"Yeah you made sure of that!"

"It's not like you took me seriously! Even after it nothing changed! Why should I clean up my act for someone who isn't interested in me?!"

" _Who said I wasn't interested?!_ " Silence filled the air after Buttercup's announcement. Her chest heaved as her eyes widened, slamming her hand over her mouth. Neither had noticed how close they'd drawn to each other, but Butch took advantage of their proximity, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her against him.

"If you wanted me Butterbabe, all you had to do was say so." Buttercup blushed, pushing on his chest. Maybe if it had been left there, things would have turned out all right. Maybe if Buttercup had thought before she spoke, what happened next wouldn't have happened. But she didn't, so it did.

"I _don't_! Why would I want a someone I couldn't trust?!" Butch stepped back as if she'd pushed him, all teasing gone. Buttercup wanted to take back what she'd said, but it was too late now.

"You don't trust me?" _Don't say that._

"No. Why would I? The only thing you know how to do is womanize and fight." _Shut up what're you saying?!_ Butch shut down, his eyes as blank as his face. Butch had done a lot of things, but he had never shut her out so completely. Buttercup reached out a hand, desperately wanting to choke on the foot she'd put in her mouth.

"I see." _I thought you were able to understand me, which is why I was willing to change for you. But I guess that's not the case._

"Butch I didn't mean-" He didn't even let her finish, turning away from her. She grabbed the back of his shirt, throwing her pride to the wind. Her chest was ready to burst, she had to make him stay. She had to apologize. "Butch, wait-"

"Let go Buttercup." _Let me leave before I say something I'll regret._ He pulled away from her slack grip, flying back home without another word. He couldn't stand to look at her right now. Buttercup sank to the ground, slamming her fist into the earth. She screamed as her heart broke, finally admitting to herself what she'd been unconsciously denying since the boys' return.

Butch walked through the doors without preamble, heading straight to his room. Boomer and Brick were sprawled on the couch, but only Boomer turned to look at him.

"So did you win?" Butch ignored him, slamming his bedroom door closed after him. Boomer shot Brick a confused look when the latter smacked him upside the head.

"Idiot."


	29. Chapter 29

Buttercup stayed in that field until the sun sank on the horizon, deciding to fly home only so she could fall into her bed faster. She was slow to take off, floating listlessly as she flew home at half her usual speed. The sky steadily darkened, bleeding dark blue, purple, and burnt orange as the sun abandoned her, as if scorning her for her words too. When it had fully disappeared, the clouds came rushing in, soaking her to the bone in a matter of minutes as the downpour announced its arrival. Buttercup laughed bitterly, dropping to the ground. She ducked into an alley, climbing onto a fire escape and shimmying up to a rooftop. She glanced around, making sure she was alone. Only then did her legs collapse, and her barriers with it. She broke down in sobs, her cries stolen by the wind. She hadn't meant for things to turn out like they had, and the way he'd _looked_ at her had broken her heart. She'd felt it throb and disintegrate in her chest as his hurt at her words flashed across his face before he closed himself to her. She cried harder as she thought of it, clutching her chest as she curled into a ball, for once letting everything out. She would go back to being tough tomorrow, but just for now, she would let herself be vulnerable.

* * *

Butch grunted in protest as sunlight streamed into his room, denying his wish to sleep the day away. The weekend had come and gone, and he hadn't left the house since his fall out with Buttercup. He wasn't looking forward to seeing her, but knew he couldn't completely avoid her. _I'll just act like she doesn't exist. For all I care we're strangers. And if she thinks all I know how to do is fight and womanize, who am I to prove her wrong?_ He got dressed faster than usual, uncaring of his appearance. He wore a simple forest green muscle tee underneath a black leather sleeveless jacket. Simple dark wash jeans paired with black and green Jordan's completed the look. He snagged a simple protein bar, leaving for school without waiting for his brothers, knowing they'd be walking with their girlfriends. He wasn't sure if Buttercup would be with them, but he wasn't in the mood to see her unless he had to, so he figured better safe than sorry.

Boomer emerged from his room just as the front door slammed shut, leaving him to shoot a confused look at Brick, who had just walked out from his own room. Brick shrugged, uncaring of his brother's actions. He wasn't his babysitter.

"Shouldn't we say something?"

"We have." Brick held up his hand when Boomer opened his mouth. "They need to work this out on their own. Now leave it alone. We've meddled enough." Boomer pouted but nodded, knowing Brick was right.

"Fine, but _you_ get to explain to the girls what happened." Brick snorted, moving towards the door.

"I don't plan on explaining anything."

* * *

"Buttercup come on we have school!" Bubbles was beyond frustrated. She didn't _understand!_ They were supposed to realize their undying love, and instead Buttercup hadn't eaten since yesterday, and Boomer hadn't texted her, so she assumed Butch wasn't much better. Her sister had also shown up soaking wet and mute, mumbling she was fine before locking herself in her room. Blossom stomped upstairs, placing her hands on her hips as she tapped her foot.

"What's taking so long? We're gonna be late!" Bubbles pointed helplessly at Buttercup's door, causing Blossom to release an aggravated sigh. "Just leave her. If she wants to act like a disobedient child then she can." The two paused, waiting for Buttercup to burst through the door and insult Blossom right back. When she didn't, the two shared a worried glance. Blossom sighed, grabbing Bubbles. "Well come on. We're gonna be late. If she wants to throw away her education then that's on her." They walked back downstairs, heading out the door after grabbing their backpacks.

Buttercup listened until their footsteps faded and the door slammed. She hopped out of bed, revealing a black crop top and light blue skinny jeans. She threw on a jean jacket, throwing her hair into a messy bun. She splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth before racing out the door. There was no way she was walking with her sisters, considering they'd be with the boys. She didn't want to see Butch any more than she had to, and considering they had first period together, she'd be tormented enough.

She made it to school just as the warning bell rang, managing to slide into the classroom before the teacher, internally sighing in relief. She spotted the boys as she slid inside, taking her seat next to Brick. He turned to her as soon as she sat down, his face as unreadable as always.

"What happened yesterday?" Both she and Butch stiffened, clamming up at the question. Buttercup shot a glance at Butch, but he wasn't looking at her.

"Nothing. We fought. We went home." _We destroyed whatever it was we had, and I still don't know what that was._ Brick raised an eyebrow in challenge, surprised at how cold she sounded.

"I see." He turned away from her, focusing on the lecture. Buttercup heaved a sigh of relief, also turned her attention to the board. No doubt her sisters were using their men to fish for information. Obviously Butch hadn't said anything if Brick was asking her. She stole another glance at the boy in question. He was twirling a pencil between his fingers, paying attention in appearance only. He seemed to sense her looking at him, because he turned just as she tore her eyes away, observing her. She looked hot as usual, showing off her toned stomach for the world to see. Her hair was in a bun and he found himself wanting to yank it until her hair flowed free. Even as angry as he was he couldn't deny he wanted her, not that that mattered now. They would never be what they were until they fixed whatever it was they had, and he knew he wouldn't be the first one to do so, and neither would she. But no matter what happened, he had had a taste of her, and he knew no one else would do. Not anymore.

* * *

School passed in a blur of sounds and colors. Buttercup didn't even remember how she'd gotten to the end of the day. She walked down the school steps, heading in the direction of her house when a hand on her arm stopped her. She turned her head, silently acknowledging her captor.

"Aren't you going to practice? You guys have a big game coming up soon right?" Buttercup shrugged off the arm, turning back around.

"I quit the team." Bubbles, who had appeared in enough time to hear that, nearly fell over.

"WHAT?!" Uncaring of the looks thrown her way, she dashed forward, falling into step with her green eye sister. "You can't be serious?"

"I am." Bubbles didn't need to know she'd been unable to completely control her strength, leading to the girls asking her to take a break until she could focus long enough to actually play. She was simply off her game. A couple hard work outs would get her back to normal, and then she'd be back on the team no sweat. She sped up, leaving Bubbles to gape after her as Blossom and the boys caught up with her. Brick had managed to capture Butch per Blossom's request. He may have convinced Boomer to leave it alone, but there was no controlling the girls. Bubbles turned to the other, looking stricken. "Buttercup quit the team! She _loves_ basketball!" She turned her attention to the green ruff trying to slink away unnoticed. She pounced, grabbing him by the collar and knocking him over in the process. She straddled him, her fists balled in his collar. " _What did you do?!_ " Butch scoffed, grabbing her waist and pushing her gently off of him. He didn't mind Bubbles, so he stopped himself from being harsh with her.

"I didn't do anything." He stood, brushing himself off. Bubbles pointed an accusing finger at him, not willing to let it go.

"If you didn't do anything why is she acting like that?! She hasn't eaten since yesterday! You must've done _something_!" He stopped for just a second, feeling an inkling of worry invade his being at the information. But he shook it off, continuing on his way. _It's got nothing to do with me._


	30. Chapter 30

Buttercup locked herself into her room, ignoring the sound of the front door announcing the arrival of her sisters. But she couldn't help the stab of annoyance when she heard male voices, signaling they weren't alone. It was only natural that her sisters invite their men over, but did they have to rub their happiness in her face? Especially when they _knew_ something had happened with the greens, even if they didn't know what. She plopped into her desk chair, retrieving her headphones as her computer loaded. _I'll just watch some TV. There's no reason for me to rain on their parade if they aren't technically bothering me._ She shook her previous dark thoughts from her head, reprimanding herself for being selfish. It wasn't anyone's fault but hers for not currently being downstairs with them. Her sisters shouldn't have to put their hard earned relationships on hold because she was sulking. She sighed, leaning back in her chair. _I'm turning into an awful person. Maybe I should go let out some steam before one of them come up here with good intentions._ She turned her laptop back off, tossing down her headphones on the desk as she opened her dresser drawers. She pulled out a dark green sports bra with black accents, pairing it with the matching black joggers with dark green accents. She shimmied out of her current outfit and switched it with her work out outfit, leaving the clothes abandoned on the floor. _I can clean up later._ She turned to her window, sliding it open and taking off in the direction of downtown. It would be dark soon, and her favorite place would be opening soon.

* * *

Butch wasn't sure _what_ he was doing here. He'd gone home, but had been kidnapped/betrayed by Brick and Boomer and brought to the girls' house. Bubbles had handed him an ice pack for his black eye, since he had gone down fighting. The girls sat across from the boys in two of the three arm chairs they'd moved to face the couch. Brick and Boomer boxed in Butch on the couch, ensuring he couldn't escape without opposition. Blossom sat back in her chair, her hands tented in front of her face, her elbows rested comfortably on the arm rests. Bubbles sat with her legs crossed at the ankles, her arms folded across her chest as she leveled Butch with a prying stare, seeming to search inside his very soul for the answers she sought. Butch shifted uncomfortably under their stares. But if they thought this would be enough to get him to reveal what happened to cause the distance between he and Buttercup, they were sorely mistaken.

"So, why don't you start at the beginning." Blossom lead the discussion, to no one's surprise. Bubbles watched him like a hawk, taking note of his body language. Butch smirked, settling into his spot on the couch.

"Well Buttercup came barging in and spent about ten minutes checking me out, not that I blame her." He freed one of his arms from its confines, flexing it for emphasis. He wiggled his eyebrows as Bubbles stifled a giggle. _Even now he manages to joke to hide his true feelings. Wait, I'm supposed to only be angry!_ Bubbles schooled her expression, copying her older sisters. Butch pouted at their reactions, huffing as he forcefully made more room between himself and his jailors.

"What happened after you guys left?" Butch shrugged.

"Why do you think something other than the usual happened?"

"Because of the state Buttercup was in when she returned." Butch shrugged again, his expression deceptively innocent.

"Buttercup didn't want to admit how much she couldn't resist me. Nothing but the usual-" Blossom stood, her eyes glowing in rage. She was _not_ in the mood to play around. Buttercup's face had said it all when she'd finally returned home. Her sister had looked utterly worn out. Every warning bell in Blossom's head had gone off, but she'd left her alone in the hopes Buttercup would open up on her own. But she also wasn't going to ignore Buttercup's lack of appetite, and since she quit the basketball team even though she was one of the most dedicated on the team... _I'm not waiting until it's too late to help her like it almost was last time._ The temperature in the room dropped as Blossom's breath became icy with deadly intent. She slowly advanced on Butch, her face eerily calm.

" _Enough stalling._ You _will_ tell us what happened between you two or so help me..." Bubbles stood, eyeing her sister warily. She observed for now, but would stop any unnecessary violence. If they were too rough Butch would shut down completely, and they'd never get anywhere. Butch's face turned serious, his eyes flashing in warning.

" _Nothing_ happened. Now leave it, it's none of your business anyway." Blossom nearly shrieked but kept her anger barely restrained.

"Anything that involves my sisters _are_ my business. Don't get confused _Butch."_ He smirked, standing so fluidly and quickly it caught everyone off guard.

"Is that so? How _noble_ of you Blossom, showing such concern for your siblings. But this is something you need to stay _out_ of." He moved to brush past her, but Bubbles shot up from her chair, trying out a more placating tone.

"Butch, we're just worried about you two." _And the fact you guys are acting more stubborn than normal toward each other._ "We just want you guys to be happy." He turned to look at her as he snorted. For a moment his eyes swam with such pain it nearly took her breath away, but it was gone before she could fully process it. He turned away from them, his back stiff with tension.

"We're done here." He closed the door without slamming it, the manners Brick beat into them overriding his current agitation. He took off, deciding to fly and clear his head before going home.

Blossom collapsed back in the armchair, rubbing her temples.

"I _swear_ those two are the _most_ stubborn people in the universe!" Bubbles patted her hand, kneeling beside her.

"Leave it alone Bloss. I humored you, but this is as far as we should go." Blossom opened her mouth to protest, but settled with sighing in aggravation at Brick's look.

"Fine. I won't meddle anymore. But if one of them _happens_ to slip up-" She shut her mouth at Brick's unimpressed look. She pouted, waving off Bubbles. "Okay! I'll leave it alone." She never understood how Brick could convey so much in his looks alone, but figured he'd perfected the skill to corral his brothers. Bubbles moved to take the space Butch vacated, leaning against Boomer who immediately wrapped an arm around her. She sighed, drawing nonsensical shapes on his hand.

"I'm not sure they'll work it out this time though guys. Buttercup looked awful..." _And I'm sure I didn't imagine the look on Butch's face either._ Blossom looked at Brick, moving to settle into his lap since there was no more room on the couch.

"What do you think happened?" Brick shrugged as if to say _I don't particularly care_ , but turned to Boomer.

"We all know how sensitive they can be, especially when it comes to the other since they're so alike. So they probably let their mouths run away from them and said something they could probably take back if they weren't so pig headed." Silence followed his statement, everyone more or less agreeing with his speculation. Blossom sighed again, looking at the door.

"Too bad that won't be happening any time soon."

* * *

 _ **Our poor greens just can't catch a break can they? But fear not my loyal readers, since we have two of the three pairs at least! I'll try to update again pretty soon, but I'm heading into finals week so it might not be as fast as you hope.**_

 _ **~Ash141: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like how I'm writing the characters! And no they can't lol. I wonder just how much these two will put themselves through before they realize they're better together. And I'm glad you like Brick, because I feel like he's the hardest to write. I imagine him strong and aloof with a softer side he shows to the people he's closest too.**_

 _ **~Livku: I know right? I was listening to Three Days Grace when I wrote that chapter so I could bring forth the right emotion. It hurt when I wrote it, so hopefully I was able to convey that.**_

 _ **~erren_reese519: Butch sort of stepped up, but it looks like it wasn't quite the way we hoped, though Buttercup isn't innocent in this rift either. Hopefully they'll get it together soon, but it's looking like they might have a few more hurdles to jump, mainly pride.**_


	31. Chapter 31

Buttercup landed soundlessly, moving with practiced ease through the alley. She moved a strategically placed dumpster just enough to slip through a concealed door. Screams and jeers increased in volume the further down she went. Her blood pumped in her veins as her face flushed in excitement. Her feet couldn't carry her down fast enough, until finally she reached her destination. A large basement extended as far as the eye could see in all directions, with the center boasting a wrestling ring. Benches had been installed around it, currently occupied by cheering and screaming fans. Buttercup slipped forward, no one questioning her presence. She'd stumbled upon this place by accident one day, and had been back since. She'd been skeptical about it at first, but when she checked with the fighters, all of them assured her the fights never turned deadly. She hadn't believed it until she'd checked on everyone weeks later, and while some were still recovering, others were perfectly fine.

It was an underground fighting ring, but anyone could enter at any time, and it never moved from here unless they got busted. Buttercup had claimed VIP status for herself, no one wanting to argue with the puff. She sat in one of the best seats, accepting the popcorn handed to her. She munched happily, her bad mood lifting as another fight began. She cheered with the crowd, popcorn flying as she sometimes got too caught up in the action.

Buttercup lost track of time, finally deciding to call it a night after her fourth bag of popcorn. She hadn't realized she was starving until she'd shoved a handful of buttery goodness in her mouth. _I should see if we have any leftovers at the house. Everyone's probably gone by now so it should be fine to sneak in through the front door._ Buttercup grinned, moving the dumpster back in place. She made it to the mouth of the alleyway when her hair was suddenly pulled, yanking her further into the alley. She yelped, her hands scrambling for purchase as she tried to figure out her next course of action. None of the boys would use such a trick unprovoked, meaning it was a normal person. Buttercup tsk'd, waiting until whoever it was let go. She was thrown into the wall, wincing as she landed painfully on her arm. She wasn't given time to get up, as her attacker suddenly pressed her against the wall, face so close she could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Get off, before I get angry." The guy smirked, burying his face in her neck.

"No way. You're a _cutie_. Tonight's my lucky night." His hold on her increased, and Buttercup grunted as he pressed against her. He moved one of his hands over her mouth, muffling her protests. She wiggled, testing his strength. She internally cursed, since he was technically right. She couldn't use her full strength, but she'd have to do something before he took it too far. Still, her body wasn't listening to her commands to _move_. He laughed, trailing kisses down her neck. Buttercup felt frozen, and for the first time she was beginning to feel utterly terrified. When his knee began forcing its way between her legs she lost it. She bit the hand covering her mouth, head butting him to create some space. She kicked him into a wall, ignoring his scream. She approached him slowly, yanking him up by his hair as he had done to her. She dropped him, stomping on his stomach twice before walking out, leaving him broken and bloody. Buttercup panted, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. _I may have gone overboard, but he deserved it! Pervert!_ Buttercup made it a few blocks before her legs gave out on her, causing her to collapse in front of club. Buttercup chuckled, dissolving into hysterical giggles. _It's no big deal! Get a hold of yourself! He only tried to...tried to..._ She shook her head, placing her head between her knees as her breathing sped up. She tried gasping for air, but black dots began to cloud her vision. She kept feeling those same slimy lips on her neck, making her skin crawl and itch. She couldn't draw in enough breath to calm down, making her panic. _I can't breathe! Calm down Buttercup. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Calm-_

 _"-_ down! Buttercup!" Buttercup looked up, her eyes locking with worried forest green. Butch was holding her shoulders, his grip tight but not harshly so. Once he realized she was looking at him, he breathed slow, his eyes demanding she follow. It took some time, but eventually she calmed down enough to breath on her own. Her lungs cried in relief as the panic attack subsided. Butch sat back, not realizing he'd been crowding her. He didn't let her go immediately though. Buttercup blushed, feeling exposed.

"Th...thanks." He nodded, only then releasing her. He moved to sit beside her, then thought better of it. Her hand reached out to stop him from leaving but she caught herself before she could follow through, instead holding her hands to her chest. Tears had gathered in the corner of her eyes, but she blinked until they disappeared. He didn't need to see her like that any more than he already had. He shoved his hands in his pockets, no longer looking at her. She was visibly distressed, despite her attempts to hide that, and it ate at him. But they weren't on good terms, and he hadn't fully forgiven her for what she'd said. He could've taken those words from anyone else, but because they came from _her,_ someone he'd hoped had understood his actions and mannerisms, or at least been able to if she wanted to, he couldn't easily let it go. She'd hurt him in a way he thought she wouldn't. Despite their less than stellar past and present relationship, they'd never said anything that could seriously hurt the other, and now that they had, he wasn't sure what to do. He knew he wanted her like he'd never wanted anyone else, but that didn't mean she got a pass no matter what she did. This time, he needed to know this wasn't a one sided thing. So if she wanted to fix this, even if it was nothing more than an uneasy friendship, she'd have to be the one to cast her pride aside and apologize first.

Still, when he'd seen her slumped over in front of the club, there was no way he'd just leave her alone. But now that the issue had been resolved and she was alright, he needed to go. He'd decided not to speak to her unless she wanted to talk about what happened, and being so close to a distressed Buttercup wasn't good. Last time she'd been upset they'd fought and ended up in their current predicament, and he wasn't sure he could handle any further rejection from her.

Buttercup meanwhile was having similar inner dialogue. Now was the perfect time to talk about what happened and apologize. Butch was an ass and annoying, but he'd never said something he knew would hurt her like she'd done to him. Her pride however was arguing to wait until _he_ apologized, figuring it was enough she'd thanked him for calming her down. She was also still torn about what happened earlier, torn between feeling sorry for herself and berating herself for acting like a victim when she should've easily thrown him off. Just because she'd never been in a situation like that didn't mean she should've frozen like she did. _All this power and I freeze at such a critical time. It's my fault for wasting time deciding whether or not to go easy on the creep. There was no reason for my body to lock up like that. But his touch was nothing like Butch's...It felt disgusting and even though I **know** I could've easily beat that guy, he scared me... _Buttercup worried her lip, drawing the other ravenette's gaze. He paused as he really took in her appearance. Her clothes were disheveled and her hair was messy. Her wrists looked slightly bruised, and her eyes were cloudy. Confused he leaned down to further inspect her, his worry for her trumping his pride for the moment.

Buttercup snapped out of her daze, letting out a small squeak at the lack of distance between the two. She leaned back, hurrying to stand and unconsciously wrapping her arms around her body.

"Thanks again. Bye now." Butch nodded, expecting her to take off. Instead she began walking home, causing him to sigh in frustration. _Why isn't she just flying?_ He followed after her, picking up on how _off_ she seemed to be. Buttercup said nothing, simply continuing to walk while she replayed the scene over and over in her head, beating herself up on what she should've done. Butch noticed the looks she was getting, getting agitated. He took off his leather jacket and caught up to her, practically shoving it on her. "What the? Butch-!"

"Wear it." His face was serious, and she was preoccupied. She told herself she was cold so she was accepting the jacket, and that was the only reason.

The closer they came to the Puff residence, the tenser she became. Butch was confused but wasn't worried about it, until she stopped and grabbed his sleeve. He turned to her but she didn't say anything, looking at the ground instead.

"What is it?" Buttercup felt a stab in her chest when he didn't call her one of his nicknames for her, but brushed it off. _That's my fault too..._

"Sorry..." She mumbled it so quietly Butch gave her an unimpressed stare.

"What?"

"...Thanks for the jacket." She took of his jacket, wordlessly handing it back to him. She rushed inside, biting her lip so hard it bled. Butch was left on the sidewalk, utterly confused.

"You're welcome?"

* * *

 **Aww BC it's not your fault! And if anyone is mad I put that in there, I tried to be as inoffensive as possible. It may seem a bit random, but she _was_ in an alleyway in the middle of the night, and she _is_ a girl. The guy was also drunk, hoping to catch _any_ unsuspecting girl off guard, and it just happened to be BC. **

**Thanks of course for reading and let me know what you think! See you guys next chapter!**


	32. Darkness in the Light ch32

Buttercup resisted the urge to slam the door, closing it gently behind her so as not to wake anyone up. She panted, releasing her lip after sucking on it to stop the bleeding. She cast quick glances around, sighing in relief when no one came into view. She was in no mood to talk about where she'd been or why she returned looking as messed up as she did. She'd never speak of this night, especially with the way Butch acted. _Stupid Butch. Who told him to be so nice?!_ She finally pushed off from the door, making a beeline for her room. Her appetite had been long gone. Now all she wanted was to shower and sleep. She floated up the stairs, making it to her room without incident. She turned on the tap, steam quickly filling the room as she closed the door behind her. She stripped and stepped in, scrubbing away the dirt and grime on her skin. She washed her hair and got out, wrapping a fluffy lime green towel around her. She wiped the now fogged up mirror, taking in her appearance. Tired emerald eyes stared back at her, her face pinched with nervous energy. She looked beyond exhausted and worn out, and she turned away from her reflection, disgusted at the shaken girl staring back at her. She dried off and hung up her towel, walking back into her room and slipping on an oversized T-shirt before collapsing in bed. She curled into a ball, hating her weakness in the alley and the weakness she let Butch see. The way he'd treated her though, just reminded her of the space between them. _I'll apologize tomorrow._

Buttercup dressed on autopilot, mechanically walking down the stairs in time to grab some of Bubbles's famous pancakes before they had to head out. Blossom sauntered down the steps last, her long auburn locks thrown into a messy bun. She wore pink and red sweatpants and a pink crop top with red high tops. Her sisters raised a questioning brow at her attire, as she looked more like Buttercup than herself. Blossom, noticing their looks, stuck her tongue out playfully.

"What? I don't have to be dressed up _all_ the time." The girls shrugged, nodding in agreement. Bubbles wore a dark blue skirt with suspenders and a plain white off the shoulder top, with black ankle boots. Her hair was in a one-sided curled ponytail that trailed over her right shoulder. Buttercup wore a black and gold tight crop top that complimented her curves and highwaisted black pants rolled at the ankles to show off her black ankle boots. Her hair was left free and wild, though it looked like she'd tried to run a brush through it to tame it. Bubbles handed Blossom her share of the pancakes before fixing her gaze on her green eyed sister.

"So when are you going to make up with Butch?" Buttercup twitched, buying time by shoving a forkful of pancake into her mouth and chewing slowly. Bubbles kept her focused stare on her, patiently waiting for her to finish. Buttercup swallowed, averting her gaze.

"I was planning to today…" Bubbles cheered while Blossom sat back with a relieved sigh.

"Finally. I'm tired of seeing you two mope and sulk. For two people always complaining about the other you sure get along well." Buttercup opened her mouth to protest but thought better of it, knowing it was true.

"Maybe. But it's not like I expect us to go back to what we were." The greens had always had a complicated relationship. They weren't friends, but they had stopped being enemies for a long time. But now that they'd had their first actual argument, and with Butch's supposed feelings out in the open, Buttercup wasn't sure _what_ she wanted. It wasn't that she didn't like him back, but they'd had a date and then the next night Butch brought someone home. _Without_ talking to her. _Without_ asking if she'd been serious while they'd been together or not. And then that whole situation with Damien…she was in no hurry to get back into a relationship. Buttercup was tough, but she wasn't invincible. She'd been hurt when she saw that airhead with Butch, just as she'd been when she found out she was only worth getting to know to win a bet. She'd wanted to hurt Butch, though she hadn't meant for it to spiral out of control like it had. So she'd apologize but she didn't want anything with anyone unless she was sure they were serious about her. She pushed herself from the table, going to grab her backpack from the door. Bubbles and Blossom rose as well, grabbing their things and following their sister out the door.

Buttercup's eye twitched. _I shouldn't have waited._ The blues and reds had been chattering nonstop, though it was mostly the blues. They remembered she was there occasionally and included her in the conversation, but then someone would tease someone else and it would return to a happy bubble where no one else existed that Buttercup was itching to pop. Or get away from. She understood their relationships were still relatively new, but this was ridiculous! She could almost _see_ the love and happiness radiating off of them and it was naseating. Finally deciding she'd had enough, she sped away, unintentionally barreling into the one person she was both dreading and hoping to see.

"Oh sorry…Butch…" Blossom sighed in relief, dropping her over the top smile once Buttercup left. Bubbles had spotted Butch further ahead on the path, amping up both her pace and performance in the hopes BC would get annoyed enough to walk away. Blossom, catching the glance Bubbles made in front of them and then back to her, caught on, picking up her own pace and wrapping her arms around Brick. He'd tugged on his hat, a tell tale sign he was embarrassed, but let her do so without complaint. The boys had been lost on what their girls were trying to do but played along anyway. Brick sighed when he caught on, turning a raised eyebrow to his girlfriend. Blossom fidgeted under his intense stare, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"Oh come on he was right there! How can you expect me _not_ to help out the situation." Brick laughed, shaking his head. Blossom nearly swooned. His laugh was rich like the finest chocolate, warming her from the inside out and causing a smile to break out on her own face. _Sometimes Brick is too hot for his own good…_

Butch turned around to see what had bumped into him from behind, schooling his features when he saw it was just Buttercup.

"Oh sorry…Butch…" He turned toward her, his eyes unable to help the automatic impulse to rake her form. The way that crop top and those jeans were hugging her curves should be illegal. Her toned stomach was on full display, and Butch couldn't help but feel irritated when he realized _everyone_ would get to see Buttercup looking so delectable, when she was for his eyes only. She fidgeted in front of him before squaring her shoulders and looking up at him with determined eyes. She always looked hot, but she was beautiful when she looked like that. She cleared her throat, her hands clenching into fists. "I'm sorry for what I said. I took it too far. I shouldn't have taken my feelings out on you that way." _Though you did deserve the beating I was going to give you._ Butch's thoughts scratched to a halt as his face broke out into a smile. He leaned down, lifting her chin as his eyes sparkled with mirth.

"Now was that so hard Butterbabe?" Buttercup yanked her face away, crossing her arms.

"No I suppose not." She walked away, ignoring how relieved she was that Butch forgave her. Butch watched her go, his gaze trained on her swinging hips. He hurried after her, walking behind her and glaring at anyone who made the mistake of looking at her. Blossom and Bubbles high fived, squealing at the show.

"They're totally gonna get together now!"

"It's only a matter of time!" Brick smirked, sharing a glance with Boomer.

"We'll see."

Buttercup had reached her limit. The guys were back to avoiding her, Butch was back to annoying her, and she'd just got wind of a rumor saying the infamous couple was back together. _Who's a couple?! We were never together in the first place!_ Butch had managed to dodge her all day, teasing her before class and then disappearing afterwards. He even managed to avoid her at lunch! She finally spotted him after school, leaving with his brothers. She marched over, grabbing his arm without preamble and pulling him away. Butch allowed himself to be led, quietly following her until they reached the back of the school by the bleachers. Buttercup crowded him against the wall, poking his chest.

"Did you start those rumors?" Butch played innocent, smiling charmingly.

"Isn't this a bit backwards? Normally it's the girl against the wall." Buttercup rolled her eyes, unimpressed with his attempt at humor.

"Answer me."

"Maybe."

"Why?!"

"We might as well be. You're mine so I don't see the big deal." Buttercup pulled back, thrown off by his declaration.

"What-" Butch leaned forward and pulled her to him, his strong arms encircling her waist. He grinned at her, though his eyes shone with nothing but seriousness.

"You're mine Buttercup." Buttercup blushed, refusing to focus on how good his arms felt around her.

"Since when?! I never agreed to that." Butch grinned wider, nuzzling her neck. She flinched, tensing up. Butch paused, but resumed what he was doing, his grip loosening slightly so she could break out if she wanted to. Buttercup relaxed after a few moments, knowing he would stop if she asked him to. _This is Butch we're talking about. He couldn't hurt me like that if he tried._ Buttercup found herself melting in the gentle touch, but when she felt his lips gently trailing kisses down her neck she blushed and pulled away. Butch pouted, not happy at all she'd stopped him. "We aren't together. You need to break that bad habit of yours Butchie boy."

"Why? You're seducing me it can't be helped." She stepped back further, giving him a skeptical look.

"I'm not seducing you perv!" His eyes raked down her form once again before he flipped their positions and crowded her against the wall.

"Stop looking at me like that then. Plus the way that top is stretching…" Buttercup blushed harder and covered her chest, once again cursing her size. Butch laughed, moving back slightly. It felt good to tease her like this, but he wouldn't be fully satisfied until she was his.

"I'm not yours Butch. I don't belong to anyone." He cupped his chin thoughtfully before returning his gaze to her.

"Maybe. But you do belong to me." He presses against her, cupping her face. "Just as I belong to you." The lines were mushy and not his style, but he needed her to understand he was serious. Buttercup looked at him wide eyed, squinting as she searched for a lie or a joke in his words. He stared back at her, conveying with his eyes the one thing he wasn't able to say just yet. Buttercup sighed, her hands grasping his shirt.

"If you pull another stunt with another airhead again I won't hear any of your pleas." Butch grinned, kissing her forehead.

"Okay."

"I'm not Bubbles or Blossom ya know." He kissed her cheek, grinning wider.

"I wouldn't want you if you were. Not my type."

"Your eyes should only be on me. Your womanizing is over." He captured her lips in a heart stopping kiss, his grin still present. When they came up for her, Butch amended his earlier thought. She never looked more beautiful than she did then.

"They always have been." Buttercup grinned as she pulled him down for another kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck as he scooped her up, pressing her harder into the wall.

Meanwhile Blossom and Bubbles internally screamed, beyond happy for their sister. Brick and Boomer smirked, knowing they'd use what they saw to tease Butch later. Bubbles had nearly swooned at his confessions, taking no offense when he'd mentioned they weren't his type. She'd known he was interested in Buttercup from the moment she'd caught him staring at her when she wasn't looking. The eyes never lie after all. She turned to the group, wiggling her fingers.

"Pay up chumps." The others groaned as they handed her the money.

"We never should've bet against Bubbles. She's got this freaky sixth sense when it comes to potential couples." Blossom groaned. Bubbles stuck out her tongue, grinning nonetheless.

"Of course. I'm a matchmaker after all." The others grinned unsurley, sneaking away to let the greens have their moment.

Buttercup pulled back, panting as she looked at him. Butch grinned as he set her down, steadying her. He was confident in his technique, and it seemed he had a right to be as Buttercup still looked slightly dazed. His grin turned lecherous as he bent down to whisper in her ear.

"If you think that's good, just wait until the _real_ fun begins. I've always wondered just how flexible you are…" He wiggled his eyebrows for emphasis, laughing as she turned beet red and smacked his chest.

"Pervert!"

 **Fi nally the greens are together! Ahh I haven't decided if I want to add some citrus to spice this up or not, so stay tuned! Thank you to everyone who reviews, and all of those who have favorited this story. Butch may have seemed a bit soft, but I think he would be when it comes to BC. Thank you guys for your patience and I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter. As always thank you for reading and see you next chapter!**


	33. Ch 33

Buttercup glanced at herself in the mirror one last time, taking a steadying breath. She had fought hard to make it to this very moment, not daring to admit this was what she eventually wanted. Butch knew though. He had always been able to read her better than anyone else, and had used that knowledge one night on their two year anniversary. With their friends and family as witnesses, and the shimmering lake as a backdrop, he'd asked her to marry him. Wedding plans caused the time to fly by, and now here she stood, taking one last look at her extravagant wedding dress Bubbles had designed for her. It was a mermaid style wedding gown, flattering her shape. It was strapless, with light green accents on the bodice and woven into the veil. The bottom flared out, blending into intricate lace sheer patterns that trailed the floor. Buttercup shifted nervously in light green strappy heels that matched the accents on her dress. Her makeup consisted of a dark grey Smokey eye and blood red lipstick, with highlight on her cheeks to giver her that extra glow. Buttercup fought the urge to bite her lip, knowing Blossom would kill her if she even sneezed too hard and ruined the makeup she'd applied with painstaking focus.

"You ready?" Buttercup turned to see Blossom emerge from the doorway, smiling encouragingly at her. She wore a light purple high low dress that faded to dark purple near the bottom, with black heels that tied in a bow around the ankles. Blossom and Bunny emerged from behind her, flowers in hand. Bunny moved forward and handed Buttercup her's, shooting her a victorious smirk.

"Who would've thought it would take a blowout for you two to get together? Thank goodness you two learned how to communicate." Buttercup stuck out her tongue, smiling despite the teasing. Her coordinator poked her head into the room, earpiece flashing.

"It's time." Bubbles gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze, before following the others out of the room. Buttercup readjusted her veil, flipping it in front of her face. She schooled her expression, allowing a tiny smile to break out across her face. She met the professor outside of the doors leading into the sanctuary, looping their arms together.

"You ready Butterscotch?" Buttercup smiled, bumping their shoulders together. Professor Utonium smiled gently, giving her arm a squeeze as the doors opened and the music began. They walked slowly down the aisle, smiling at everyone as they passed. The Professor gave her away, fighting back tears as he took his seat beside Ms. Kean. Buttercup grinned at Butch, who was looking at her like a drowning man looks at a life raft. They turned as one to the priest, who smiled kindly at them.

"Do you, Butch JoJo, take Buttercup Mary Utonium to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?" Butch turned to look at her, his eyes shining.

"I do."

"And do you, Buttercup Mary Utonium, take Butch JoJo to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?" Buttercup turned toward Butch, eyes filling with happiness.

"I do."

 **And that's the end! Thank you so much to all my wonderful readers and reviewers! I was nervous at first starting this story, and you guys have truly made me love writing.**


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